Saber Dolls G
by BG-57
Summary: This is an attempt to delve more into the stories of Faust and his Saber Dolls: Tiger, Luchs and Panther. It take place after the events of Saber Marionette J Again and parts of Saber Marionette JX.
1. Three Wishes

Saber Dolls G  
  
A Saber Marionette Fanfiction  
  
By BG-57  
  
Program 01: Three Wishes  
  
Nighttime had fallen over the city-state of Japoness; the only light was from the moon and the shopping districts. Although only it was only 300 years old, it looked far older. Dominating the skyline was a huge oriental castle surrounded by white walls capped with sloped gray tiles. The castle had been the residence of Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa who along with all the other shoguns had been exact clones of the original founder of the same name. The castle was now the residence of the brilliant and lovely Lorelei, the only human female living on Terra II who was busy developing female clones. Directly opposite and beyond the city limits loomed the snow peaked volcanic cone known as the Japoness Fuji, despite that there were no other mountains on Terra II called Fuji.  
  
In the dark streets below four people made their way along the alleyway. They reached an intersection and looked around. A Marionette stepped forward and scanned the surrounding area. She was dressed in a long sleeved black jacket and a dress shirt and tie, but a very short skirt. Her violet eyes, normally hidden under bangs of blue hair glowed softy in the night. In her visual readout appeared the words 'Akte Nicht Gefunden'.  
  
"What is it Luchs?" asked the tall man with peaked blond hair taking his hands out of the pockets of his leather jacket. He wore jeans and his hair in a ponytail.  
  
"We're lost Lord Faust. I'm consulting my map database," said Luchs in an embarrassed tone.  
  
"I see," said Faust evenly.  
  
A Marionette dressed in a similar jacket and tie but with baggy pantaloons decorated with stars folded her arms across her chest. A large tuft of blond hair mostly hid the star shaped eyepatch she wore over her right eye but her blue visible eye expressed annoyance. "Tch! You'd think these people have heard of street signs!"  
  
Faust glanced at her. "Panther, the First Ieyasu came from a different culture on Earth than the First,"  
  
The Saber Dolls knew that he meant the original Gelhardt Faust, since their master was actually the tenth clone of the First, complete with the memories of the first nine.  
  
"We meant no disrespect Master Faust," said the third Marionette, dressed in the jacket and tie and form fitting black pants with a red sash. She wore a cap over her short cut red hair.  
  
"I know Tiger," replied Faust indulgently.  
  
"Found it," said Luchs her eyes dimming. "Left at this intersection then right after a block."  
  
They walked down the street and eventually made it to a building with a rustic alpine motif that contrasted sharply with the nearby buildings.  
  
Faust read the sign. "Faust Diner!" He looked stunned.  
  
The Saber Dolls gasped and knelt in front of him. "Forgive our impudence Master Faust!" said Luchs.  
  
Faust waved a hand. "It's alright. What else would you Saber Dolls call a restaurant?"  
  
Panther quickly unlocked the door and let them in. Tiger flicked on the light switch. The fluorescent lighting illuminated rows of closely packed booths and tables. Behind that was a counter with cash registers and the kitchen was visible on the other side. Faust took a seat in one of the booths. The Saber Dolls stood nearby.  
  
"Can we get you anything my Lord?" asked Tiger.  
  
Faust picked up the menu and quickly scanned it. "Just something to drink for now."  
  
Tiger ran behind the counter and quickly returned with a cup filled with ice tea. She set it down in front of him.  
  
"Have a seat all of you," said Faust folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes.  
  
They all sat down on the opposite bench. Panther wrung her hands under the table.  
  
"First, I'm impressed with all of you. You have obviously grown a lot. Clearly Otaru Mamiya and his Marionettes have had a good effect on you."  
  
"We are not worthy of your praise Lord Faust," said Luchs, not daring to look up.  
  
"Secondly, I have a lot to think about, especially considering the events involving Marine and my body double."  
  
Tiger sighed as she recalled her last minute rescue of Faust from a liquid metal Marionette. It was the first time that he had embraced her.  
  
"I regret betraying your body double," said Panther sadly.  
  
"Why? He was evil," said Faust pensively.  
  
"Because it felt like I was betraying you," she said.  
  
"I want you to betray me if I ever become like him," he replied.  
  
The three Saber Dolls spoke as one. "Lord Faust, you can't mean that!"  
  
"I know I said that you were just tools, but I was wrong." He opened his eyes. "You shouldn't blindly follow me."  
  
"As much as it hurts sometimes, we will always follow your orders," said Tiger meeting his gaze.  
  
He nodded. "I have caused so much pain to so many people. And to you three most of all. So I've decided to make it up to you. Tiger. Luchs. Panther. Ask me what you wish, and if it is within my power, I will grant it to you."  
  
Luchs looked at him, her eyes wide. "A wish?"  
  
Panther gaped. "For each of us?"  
  
Tiger covered her mouth with her hands. "Whatever we want?"  
  
Faust nodded solemnly. "Give it some thought," he sipped his tea.  
  
  
  
Later that night the Saber Dolls were lying awake on their futons, which were lying side by side in a tatami room above the restaurant. Luchs turned to Panther. "Can you sleep?"  
  
Panther opened her eyes. "No. I'm trying to think of a wish."  
  
Luchs blushed. "Do you think Master Faust would agree to.you know?"  
  
Panther sighed. "I'd be too scared to ask for that." She rolled over to her other side. "Tiger, what do you.." She saw that Tiger's futon was empty.  
  
Panther sat up and saw Tiger sitting on the balcony. She walked over but Tiger didn't seem to notice her. Tiger clutched her hat closer to her chest. "Dear Lord Faust, you are so kind to us now. So why does your kindness make my heart ache?" A tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"Tiger are you okay?" asked Panther putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Tiger looked up and felt her cheek. "I should be happy. Why am I crying then?"  
  
"Maybe your Maiden Circuit is malfunctioning," suggested Panther.  
  
"I think it's working fine," Said Luchs joining them. "But we can get it looked at tomorrow."  
  
Tiger got up. "I have to know now."  
  
"Tiger!" said Panther.  
  
She walked past them into the hallway and knocked on a door.  
  
"Come in," said Faust's voice.  
  
She slid open the door to find him sitting in a chair watching the moon. He was still dressed, his jacket draped over another chair. Tiger picked it up and put it on a hook. "Really Master Faust, you can be so careless sometimes."  
  
Faust smiled quietly. "You're right of course."  
  
She didn't turn around. "You can't sleep Master?"  
  
Faust looked back out the window. "I don't sleep much. Is something on your mind?"  
  
Tiger looked at him over her shoulder. "My Maiden Circuit may be malfunctioning again. Can I go to a Marionette repair shop tomorrow?"  
  
Faust stood. "I'll look at it. Sit down."  
  
She sat down across from him. She blushed as he carefully unbuttoned the bottom of her shirt and opened up her chest panel. He gingerly removed the cylindrical circuit with a convex cover on top. It was pulsing softly and attached to her by a few wires. He flipped out a magnifying glass and inspected it through a digital readout.  
  
"It doesn't seem damaged. Lorelei did a good job repairing it," he said after a few moments.  
  
She felt dizzy and weightless at the same time. "Master.how does it feel?"  
  
He looked up. "How does what feel?"  
  
"My Maiden Circuit," she replied breathlessly.  
  
He closed his eyes and encircled it with his hands. "It feels warm. Warm and delicate."  
  
Tiger started crying again. "You've never held my heart before."  
  
He looked away, abashed. "Does it hurt?"  
  
Tiger shook her head slowly. "No."  
  
He examined it again. "I could crush it like an egg."  
  
She covered his hands with hers. "You can if you want to."  
  
He seemed distraught at that and met her gaze. "Tiger.." He dropped his head and sighed.  
  
She gently touched his cheek with her hand. "Don't worry Lord Faust. I trust you."  
  
Faust managed to pull in his emotions and busied himself in checking the diagnostics. "It's functioning fine." He replaced the maiden circuit and closed the chest panel.  
  
She touched her chest. "So these are normal feelings?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes. The Maiden Circuit will be at capacity soon."  
  
She sat there and absorbed that. Finally she spoke again. "Master Faust, what should I wish for?"  
  
He put the magnifying glass away. "Whatever your heart desires."  
  
She rose. "Thank you Lord Faust. Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight." He went back to staring at the moonlight.  
  
  
  
The next day Tiger went downstairs to find the kitchen already busy. Luchs was hurrying around boiling something in a pot and cutting up vegetables. She looked up but kept chopping as she talked. "Good morning Tiger. Feeling better?"  
  
Tiger nodded. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" she replied. "I'm cooking breakfast for Lord Faust. I want to show him the results of my training with Cherry."  
  
Tiger smiled. "I'm sure he'll be pleased. Can I help?"  
  
Luchs shook her head. "I'm all set."  
  
"Mornin'," Said Panther ambling in. "What are you making Luchs?"  
  
"Miso soup and pickled vegetables. A traditional Japoness breakfast," she said waving the knife at the food.  
  
"Smells good," said Faust as he came down the stairs.  
  
"Oh you're too generous Master!" gushed Luchs. She quickly brought the pot over and served four bowls with soup. She hurried back to the kitchen as the others sat down.  
  
Panther took a sip. "Well, she's improved at least," she commented.  
  
Luchs returned with a plate of pickled vegetables. She served some onto each of the plates with chopsticks. She expectantly watched Faust take a bite.  
  
"It's good," he said.  
  
Luchs hugged herself furiously. "Oh thank you Master! It's nothing really!"  
  
Panther stared. "Maybe her Maiden Circuit is the one malfunctioning."  
  
"Have any of you thought of a wish?" asked Faust.  
  
"Yes Master!" said Luchs, raising her hand.  
  
He leaned on his hand. "What would you like?"  
  
"Um.." Suddenly she had become bashful. "I was wondering if you would like to spend some time with me later today. Maybe go to a play and dinner?"  
  
He thought about it. "You mean a 'date'?"  
  
Luchs fidgeted nervously. "A 'date'? Yes, if it pleases you Master."  
  
"Fine with me," he said.  
  
"Aiee! Master Faust, thank you!" she said running off.  
  
Panther called after her. "Luchs you little sneak! How dare you beat me to my wish!"  
  
Tiger and Faust sipped their soup.  
  
  
  
Later that day a Marionette stopped by a large statue. She was tall and muscular, with long red hair tied back. White ropes that twisted across her back accented her low cut dress. She smiled as she looked at the statue of herself but became angry when she saw birds perching on the statue's head.  
  
"Hey! Shoo! Go somewhere else!" she said waving at them, causing them to scatter. She hopped up onto the statue to inspect the damage and found someone hugging the other side.  
  
"Luchs?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, Bloodberry, hi," said Luchs trying to look as nonchalant as possible while hugging a statue.  
  
Bloodberry saw Luchs was wearing a pale green gown and matching hat. "What are you all dressed up for?"  
  
"It's so embarrassing!" she replied. "I'm waiting for Master Faust."  
  
Bloodberry looked lost. "You're going on a 'date'?"  
  
Luchs nodded and hugged the statue tighter. "Yes, my Master has granted me this one wish."  
  
Bloodberry leaned against the statue of an impish looking Marionette. "Huh? Are Tiger and Panther okay with this?"  
  
"They haven't asked for their wishes yet," she replied.  
  
Bloodberry wondered to herself why she hadn't thought of that approach with Otaru before. "Well I'll see you then. When's he meeting you?"  
  
"Around Noon," she said, sighing.  
  
Bloodberry hopped to the ground and rubbed her head. "It's almost eight. Have fun waiting."  
  
"Thank you Bloodberry," said Luchs cheerfully.  
  
"She's worse than Cherry," Bloodberry muttered to herself. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to get Otaru to grant me a wish!"  
  
  
  
The wind rustled the grass in front of a nearby dojo. The martial arts students eagerly gathered at the windows to watch Faust and Panther facing off in the courtyard. Both were dressed in loose pants and tunics with black belts.  
  
"Are you ready for your wish?" demanded Faust sternly.  
  
"Anytime Master!" said Panther enthusiastically.  
  
Faust buried a fist into his palm. "I don't want you to hold back. That's an order."  
  
Panther smiled broadly. "Yes my Lord."  
  
A student turned to a tall thin man with long black hair sitting on the porch. "Master Soemon, who do you think will win?" he asked.  
  
"Panther," replied Soemon evenly.  
  
"But surely Faust-," began the student.  
  
"I see no malice in his eyes now. Panther has a fire that he lacks," said Soemon in a worried tone.  
  
Panther ran toward Faust at full tilt yelling all the way. She brought down a fist that Faust barely managed to block. She spun and hit him in the chest with her foot, sending him sprawling. She ran over to him. "Lord Faust!"  
  
He swept a leg under her feet, tripping her. He smoothly rose. "Don't let down your guard Panther!" he admonished.  
  
She leapt back up and sent her fist forward. As he sidestepped, she fired a beam on light from her right eye. He ducked and ran towards her. She grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder. She released and Faust landed on his back with a tremendous thud. She whirled around and got into a fighting stance but he just lay there.  
  
"Lord Faust?" she asked.  
  
"You win," he said weakly.  
  
A few minutes later she was kneeling next to Faust wrapping a bandage around his head. "Please forgive me," said Panther miserably.  
  
Faust chuckled quietly. "Panther, if you didn't get carried away like this you wouldn't be true to yourself."  
  
Panther smiled awkwardly. "Master, thank you. It was an honor to fight you in combat. But how was I able to win?"  
  
Faust rubbed his forehead. "I created you to do the fighting for me."  
  
Soemon walked over. "You shouldn't exert yourself so my Lord."  
  
Faust shook his head. "You can call me Gelhardt."  
  
Soemon smiled secretively. "I don't even think Lady Lorelei can call you that."  
  
Faust nodded. "You have a point. Panther I suppose you can't either?"  
  
Panther looked aghast at the suggestion. "I would never disrespect you so."  
  
Faust sighed and stood up with Panther's help. "There's no need to treat me like the ruler of Gartland anymore. I'm just an ordinary man."  
  
"There is nothing ordinary about you my Lord," said Soemon walking away.  
  
Panther and Faust exchanged silent glances.  
  
  
  
Across town a young man with brown hair tied in a ponytail walked into a restaurant, brushing aside the curtain hanging over the entryway.  
  
"I'm back!" he called.  
  
"Welcome home Master Otaru!" said a young marionette with a pair of enormous red ornaments in her purple hair.  
  
"Hi Cherry." He walked up to the counter and sat next to Tiger, who was sitting with her head down on the countertop. "Hey Tiger, are you okay?"  
  
She turned to look at him without raising her head. "What do you wish for more than anything?" she asked.  
  
"What do I wish for?" he asked. He stared ahead pensively for a while. "Nothing really."  
  
She sat up. "Nothing at all?" she said.  
  
Otaru shook his head. "I already have all I really want. Right, Cherry?"  
  
Cherry blushed and fidgeted with a carving knife. "Oh Master Otaru, you are so bold! You want me all to yourself?"  
  
Otaru blushed and turned back to Tiger. "What's this all about?"  
  
Tiger rested her head in her arms. "Master Faust wants to grant us three wishes. But we are not supposed to want anything except his love. We were created to serve him, not the other way around."  
  
"Love is about sharing," said Cherry. "You have receive love as well. Right Master?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," said Otaru rubbing his head. "He does care about you, though. I know he has a funny way of showing it."  
  
Tiger sighed. "You didn't know him as a child. He was so joyous and carefree. When he was implanted with the memories of the other clones he.changed."  
  
"Yeah, but he's nice now," said Cherry. "He used to be mean."  
  
Tiger looked up. "He carries a sadness he didn't have before. Even when he was cruel to me I admired him. He inspired me to fight harder. Now he's so unsure of himself."  
  
"He seems sure about you guys," said Otaru.  
  
Tiger closed her eyes and smiled. "Thank you Otaru. But what I really wish for can never happen."  
  
"Whatever it is, you should still ask him," said Otaru as he munched on some sukiyaki that Cherry set before him.  
  
Tiger suddenly got up. "You're right. I have to ask him."  
  
"Good luck," said Otaru.  
  
"Thank you, come again," said Cherry as Tiger left.  
  
Faust removed the bandage on his head as he reached the statue. He glanced back and forth and leaned against the base. Luchs noiselessly landed next to him.  
  
"My Lord!" she said breathlessly.  
  
He turned to her. "Luchs, have you been waiting long?"  
  
She shook her head. "Oh not at all!"  
  
He stared at her dress. "You look nice."  
  
She turned beet-red. "Oh Master! Don't say things like that! It's so embarrassing!"  
  
Faust blinked a bit. "Shall we go?"  
  
Luchs nodded and they walked down the street. She shyly looked up at him. "Master?" she asked.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"May I.hold onto you?"  
  
He nodded and extended an arm. She wrapped her hand around his elbow and leaned her head against his shoulder. She sighed.  
  
"Anything wrong?" he asked.  
  
"No Master. It's just that I've always wished for this."  
  
"It's the least I can do," he said, "You've risked your life for me countless time and saved Lorelei."  
  
She stopped still holding onto his arm. He stopped as well.  
  
"What's wrong?" he inquired.  
  
She couldn't look at him. "Are you doing this out of obligation to me Master?"  
  
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago."  
  
She looked up, her eyes moist. "So it's guilt? Is that all?"  
  
He sighed and embraced her. "No Luchs. I'm doing this because I care about you."  
  
She couldn't stop the tears. "I am not worthy of such praise my Lord."  
  
He grimaced. "Stop saying that! You are!"  
  
She looked up into his eyes. "Oh Lord Faust!"  
  
By now a short blue haired marionette wearing a white dress with long sleeves was watching them intently. She wore a yellow bandanna with a large ornament stuck into it.  
  
"Hao!" she said brightly.  
  
Luchs gasped and pulled away from Faust. "L-Lime!"  
  
Lime blinked and waved. "Luchs, Hao!"  
  
Luchs feebly waved back.  
  
She turned and waved again. "Faust, Hao!"  
  
Faust nodded to her.  
  
She giggled and ambled over to Luchs. "Whacha doing?" she asked.  
  
Luchs seethed. "You're ruining my chance with Lord Faust!" she snapped.  
  
Lime stared at her blankly. "Chance? What's that?"  
  
"It's an opportunity to confess how you feel to the one you love," she said testily.  
  
"Otaru is the one I love!" said Lime enthusiastically.  
  
"Why don't you go tell him that?" suggested Faust.  
  
Lime looked up, lost in thought for a second. "Hey! Good idea! Thanks Faust!"  
  
They watched her jump onto a rooftop and hop from building to building.  
  
Luchs sighed. "Thank you my Lord."  
  
Faust offered his hand. "Let's go."  
  
She smiled and took it.  
  
Tiger sat alone under a tree on a hillside that overlooked Japoness. She was dressed in her uniform and playing idly with her whip blade. She closed her eyes and sighed. Faust came over the ridge and looked down at her. As he came close she spoke.  
  
"Master, you came!"  
  
He stood next to her and admired the view of the valley.  
  
"Of course Tiger," he said evenly, "What is your wish?"  
  
Tiger stood and removed her hat and held it out to him. "Please?"  
  
He looked distraught for a second but nodded. He sat down next to her. She put the cap on his head.  
  
"How does it look?" he asked.  
  
She stared at him gravely then began to giggle uncontrollably.  
  
He tried to pull the cap down but it didn't fit his head. He smiled faintly.  
  
"I'm sorry Master!" she said, trying to control regain her composure.  
  
He sighed quietly. "It's alright Tiger." He removed the hat and adjusted the headband. He then replaced it.  
  
She smiled. "It looks good on you."  
  
His smile was tinged with sadness. "This is your wish?" he asked.  
  
She nodded. "I was always the happiest when I was playing with you in a field of flowers."  
  
He met her gaze. "That was a long time ago."  
  
She nodded. "I know. Can you do one more thing Master?"  
  
He looked thoughtful. "If I can."  
  
"Please get some sleep," she said.  
  
He frowned. "Sleep? What about your wish?"  
  
She smiled, patting her knee. "This is my wish. Please lie down."  
  
He leaned back so his head was resting across her lap. He looked slightly ill at ease.  
  
"Are you uncomfortable my Lord?" asked Tiger.  
  
"I feel like a little child again," he said.  
  
Tiger nodded. "Can you remember how happy you were then?"  
  
He felt the breeze blow across his face. "Yes. It seems so long ago now."  
  
"Can you hear the wind rustle the leaves?" she asked, "The flowers sway to and fro?"  
  
He closed his eyes and nodded. She stroked his hair.  
  
"Let go of your burdens for a while Master," she said softly.  
  
He seemed to nod off.  
  
"Thank you," she added.  
  
"For what?" he murmured.  
  
"For granting my wish," she replied.  
  
He mumbled something she couldn't make out. Soon he drifted off to sleep. Tiger leaned down and kissed his forehead. She looked up and watched the sunset bathe the valley in hues of orange and red.  
  
Preview  
  
Lord Faust wants to talk to Lorelei privately! But they won't let her leave the castle! It's up to Luchs, Panther, and I to get her out! Will Lord Faust confess his love for her? Will he still need us if he does? Next time on Saber Dolls G: 'Confession'. Lord Faust, I love you! 


	2. Confession

Saber Dolls G  
  
A Saber Marionette Fanfiction  
  
By BG-57  
  
Program 02: Confession  
  
Dawn rose on the city-state of Japoness. Only the top floors of Castle Japoness were aglow; the rest of the city was still in darkness. Clouds obscured the peak of Japoness Fuji. An edifice called the Faust Diner stood in the shopping district. It had an alpine chalet façade that was out of place among the oriental buildings. The streetlights shone through the window blinds, casting bands of lights on the faces of two Marionettes, both dressed in their Gartlant uniforms.  
  
Luchs leaned back in her booth seat and sighed. "Master took me to an elegant café downtown. It was just like a dream!"  
  
Panther for once didn't look bored listening to her. Her hair was brushed back, revealing a transparent red eyepatch in the shape of a star. She smirked. "How nice. I for one finally got to spar with Master Faust!"  
  
Luchs cradled her chin on the back of her hand and smiled. "Did you let him win?"  
  
Panther blinked. "I-er beat the stuffing out of him."  
  
Luchs laughed behind her hand. "Oh, that is so you, Panther."  
  
Panther snorted and looked off to one side. "Lay off."  
  
"I think we need to do more research before next time," said Luchs.  
  
Panther rubbed her head. "Not again! Leave that Otaru boy out of this."  
  
Luchs frowned. "But he's a human male, just like our Master."  
  
Panther shook her head. "Yeah I know. But I want Lord Faust, not Otaru Mamiya."  
  
"You're right of course," she replied, looking lost in thought.  
  
"So how can we win Lord Faust's heart?" asked Panther.  
  
Luchs regarded her with her violet eyes. "My tactical programs aren't going to help."  
  
Panther sighed and they sat there in silence. They gasped as the fluorescent lights flickered on.  
  
Faust stood at the foot of the stairs his hand on the switch. "What are you two doing sitting in the dark?" he asked.  
  
They both knelt in front of him. "Master Faust, forgive us for disturbing you!"  
  
He gestured them to stand. "Never mind."  
  
Luchs and Panther rose. "Can we do something for you?" asked Panther.  
  
Faust nodded and removed his jacket.  
  
"Hold this," he said, handing it to Luchs.  
  
He crossed behind the counter and began to rummage in the refrigerator. Luchs and Panther stared at each other then at Faust.  
  
"Master, we should be doing that!" protested Panther, putting her hands on the counter.  
  
He began sorting eggs. "Don't worry. The First was an excellent chef. I haven't practiced much since his time though."  
  
Panther and Luchs crossed into the kitchen.  
  
"Let us help," offered Luchs.  
  
He nodded. They were halfway through preparing the omelet when Tiger came down the stairs.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
  
Panther handed her four glasses. "Set these on the table, okay?"  
  
Tiger set the glasses next to the four plates already on the table. Faust walked over and sliced the omelet into fourths and used a spatula to put one piece on each plate. Luchs poured juice into each glass. Faust handed the skillet to Panther who returned to the kitchen. He took a seat in the booth. Luchs sat across from him. Panther returned and sat next to her. Tiger hesitated, then sat next to Faust. They all tasted the food.  
  
"Wow! This is great!" exclaimed Panther.  
  
"It sure is!" chimed in Tiger.  
  
"Really?" asked Faust.  
  
"Absolutely my Lord," added Luchs, "You're a great cook."  
  
He sighed. "I'm not sure if you really mean that."  
  
"Why would you doubt us?" asked Tiger.  
  
He smiled at Tiger. "No I didn't mean it like that. I've grown accustomed to flattery, so I tend not to believe honest praise. Forgive me."  
  
Tiger returned the smile. "You don't have to apologize to us my Lord."  
  
Panther and Luchs glanced at each other.  
  
Faust reached into his pocket.  
  
"I have an assignment for you Saber Dolls," he said.  
  
"You want us to deliver a letter to Lady Lorelei?" asked Luchs.  
  
He shook his head and smiled. "You know me too well," he said, pulling out a letter with 'GF' embedded into a wax seal.  
  
Halfway to Castle Japoness Luchs abruptly stopped and turned to face Tiger.  
  
"What is it Luchs?" asked Tiger nervously.  
  
"You were acting too familiar with Lord Faust this morning," replied Luchs.  
  
Tiger looked away. "I don't think so."  
  
Panther leaned in close to her. "Then why did you sit next to him?"  
  
"And the way he was looking at you," added Luchs.  
  
Tiger held up her hands defensively and reddened. "That's not true! He treats me just the same as you two!"  
  
Panther put her hands on her hips. "Yeah right! You were the first one of us made! You even got to raise our current Master! But that doesn't mean you can have him all to yourself!"  
  
"Exactly," said Luchs, "We love him too."  
  
Tiger sighed and hung her head. "I know. But we have a worse problem."  
  
"Which is?" asked Panther.  
  
"Lorelei," said Luchs sadly.  
  
All three of them stared at the ground. Eventually Luchs took out the letter.  
  
"Do you think he wants to ask her how she feels about him?" she inquired.  
  
Panther snatched the letter and held it up to the light.  
  
"Hey!" yelled Tiger.  
  
"Tch!" said Panther. "I can't see anything!"  
  
Tiger snatched the letter from Panther. "Show some respect for our Master!" she shouted.  
  
She clutched the letter close to her heart until Luchs snatched it from her.  
  
"Stop fondling our Master's love letter," she said.  
  
Both of them stared at her. "How do you know that?" asked Panther.  
  
Luchs shook her head. "What else could it be?"  
  
Panther punched a nearby wall. "Argh! I wish we could destroy this letter!"  
  
Tiger frowned. "We will obey Master Faust's will. It doesn't matter how much it hurts us."  
  
Luchs stared at the letter. She broke the seal and read it.  
  
"Hey!" said Tiger.  
  
"What does it say?" asked Panther.  
  
"Oh my," said Luchs.  
  
"What?" said Tiger.  
  
Luchs held out the letter to them. It read: "Dear Lorelei, will you meet with me to discuss something important? -Gelhardt von Faust-."  
  
"That could mean a lot of things," suggested Tiger.  
  
Luchs refolded the letter. She took out a bar of wax and melted some across it. She took at ring and imprinted Faust' seal into the wax.  
  
Panther gaped. "Why are you carrying all junk that with you?" she asked.  
  
Luchs smiled. "I was in charge of our Master's letters in Gartlant. I kept the seal just in case."  
  
Tiger smirked. "You're too clever for your own good. Let's go."  
  
At the gates of Castle Japoness they met up with two elegantly cool Marionettes.  
  
"Identify yourselves!" said the one with long silver hair that formed curls near her ears. She was dressed in a red kimono with black trim and carried a blade on a pole.  
  
"GSM-01T," said Tiger.  
  
"GSM-02L," said Luchs.  
  
"GSM-03P," said Panther.  
  
"Identities confirmed," said the other one with spiky green hair carrying two blades across her back. Her kimono was cyan with blue sleeves.  
  
"Tamasaburo, is Lady Lorelei in?" asked Tiger.  
  
The silver haired Marionette nodded. "What is your business with her?"  
  
"We're delivering a message for Lord Faust," said Luchs.  
  
"What is the message?" asked the green haired Marionette.  
  
"None of your beeswax, Baiko!" snapped Panther.  
  
Tiger held her arms in front of Panther and Luchs. "What we mean is we would appreciate it if you admitted us."  
  
Tamasaburo and Baiko wordlessly regarded each other.  
  
"You may proceed," said Tamasaburo, "But leave your weapons here."  
  
Tiger handed her blade whip to Baiko and Luchs handed her shuriken blades to Tamasaburo.  
  
"Panther, your weapons?" asked Baiko.  
  
"You wanna chop my hands off?" asked Panther holding up her hands with a smirk.  
  
"Proceed," repeated Tamasaburo.  
  
They walked across the footbridge across the koi pond into the main building. They ascended up several flights of a narrow staircase. They reached a patio filled with a field of flowers. A woman stood among the flowers with a watering can and a trowel. She was dressed in a green checkered shirt and blue overalls. Her orange-brown hair was mostly hidden under a green baseball cap but her blue eyes were clearly visible. She ran over to them.  
  
"Tiger!" she cried, "Luchs and Panther! How are you?"  
  
Tiger smiled. "Fine my Lady."  
  
"We have a message from Lord Faust," said Panther, elbowing Luchs.  
  
Luchs handed the dog-eared parchment over. "It got a little messed up."  
  
Lorelei nodded and broke the seal. She read it intently and frowned. "He wants to meet me?"  
  
Tiger nodded. "We would appreciate it."  
  
Lorelei smiled. "How can I refuse then?"  
  
"We'll tell him then," said Panther.  
  
Lorelei looked thoughtful. "Except.."  
  
"What is it?" inquired Luchs.  
  
"I wish I could go and meet him instead of receiving him here," said Lorelei sighing.  
  
"Do you have Marionette repair facilities here?" asked Luchs.  
  
Lorelei looked lost. "Yes.but why?"  
  
Panther and Tiger knew what was coming next.  
  
"I have a plan," said Luchs, smiling evilly.  
  
As the Saber Dolls returned to the main gate they met up with some human guards.  
  
"Hey there," said the first guard, "Have your weapons back."  
  
They handed the blade whip to Tiger and the shuriken blades to the blue haired one.  
  
"T-thanks," she stammered. She bowed to them and followed Tiger and Panther down the road.  
  
As they left the second guard turned to the first. "Wasn't that Marionette acting strange?" he asked.  
  
"I think they're all strange," replied the first guard leisurely.  
  
After they turned the corner Tiger breathed a sigh of relief. "I think we fooled them Lady Lorelei."  
  
Under the blue hair and Gartlant uniform, Lorelei looked exasperated. "How can your wear this all the time?"  
  
Panther looked at her own jacket and baggy pants. "Why? What's wrong with it?"  
  
Lorelei tried to pull down her miniskirt and shook her head. "Never mind. I shouldn't have agreed to this."  
  
Tiger touched Lorelei's arm. "You need to get out more often and spread your wings."  
  
Lorelei smiled weakly. "Yes, but I'm going to get you all in trouble."  
  
"Hey, we're used to it," said Panther putting a hand to her chest, "We're the bad girls, remember?"  
  
Lorelei took Panther's hands. "No you're not! You only did bad things because your Master ordered you too!"  
  
Panther looked down, embarrassed.  
  
Lorelei turned to Tiger, her eyes watering. "You all carry part of me. If you are evil, it is because I am evil."  
  
Tiger looked distraught. "My Lady, do not blame yourself. All that is good in us is because you are a good person."  
  
Panther looked up. "I'm with Tiger."  
  
Lorelei dried her eyes. "Thank you both."  
  
They made their way down the streets of Japoness. As they entered into Faust Diner Tiger called out: "I'm home!"  
  
"Welcome back!" came Faust's down the stairs.  
  
"Good luck," said Tiger as they reached the stairs.  
  
"You're not coming with me?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Tiger shook her head quietly.  
  
Panther folded her arms across her chest. "Be nice to our Master, or I'll have to hurt you."  
  
Lorelei nodded and went up the stairs. After she was gone Tiger turned to Panther.  
  
"Now we wait," she said.  
  
"For the Imperial Guard," finished Panther.  
  
Lorelei hesitated at the top of the stairs. She looked left then right and headed straight down the hallway. She knocked on the door to the right.  
  
"Excuse me?" she asked.  
  
The door slid open. Faust stood there.  
  
"Ah there you are Luchs," he began, "What did Lorelei-" he stopped in mid- sentence, his eyes growing wide.  
  
Lorelei bowed. "Greetings Master Faust," she said playfully.  
  
Faust looked too stunned to react. "Lorelei!" he finally said.  
  
She smiled and spun around once, showing off her outfit. "What do you think of my Luchs imitation?" she asked, giggling.  
  
Faust gestured for her to sit down. As she did he sat across from her.  
  
"What would you like to discuss with me?" she asked. She removed the blue wig and unpinned her hair.  
  
Faust made a tent with his fingers. "Two things really. Once concerning our past, and one concerning our future."  
  
Lorelei brushed her hair a bit. "What about our past?"  
  
Faust looked uncomfortable. "I waited three hundred years to rescue you. In the end I failed. I had to leave it to Otaru Mamiya and his Saber Marionettes."  
  
Lorelei smiled at him. "No, you were a great help. They wouldn't have reached me without your Zaubelberg."  
  
Faust nodded. "I did it because of my love for you."  
  
Lorelei looked at him sadly. "You mean the First Faust's love for me?"  
  
Faust frowned. "Originally yes. But I was given his memories and his love for you was part of those memories."  
  
Lorelei wrung her hands. "So you were programmed to love me."  
  
Faust slumped in his chair. "You may be right. That would make me just like my Saber Dolls."  
  
Lorelei covered her mouth with her hands. "No, I didn't mean that your love or theirs isn't genuine. But would you love me if you didn't have the First Faust's memories?"  
  
Faust shook his head. "I don't know. But I would like to think so. It's funny though, I was the first clone whose first love wasn't you."  
  
Lorelei smiled secretly. "I think I know who."  
  
Faust coughed and fidgeted. "Well I do not deserve your love, nor do I expect to ever get it. But I would ask that you forgive me someday."  
  
"For what?" she asked.  
  
"I do not regret helping to rescue you," he said, "I only regret what I did to do it."  
  
Lorelei clasped her hands together. "I'm sorry I was the cause of so much suffering."  
  
He took her hand. "You are not to blame."  
  
She began to cry and embraced him. "Oh Faust! Please forgive me! You tortured yourself for three hundred years for me!"  
  
Faust closed his eyes and sighed. "It was worth it."  
  
"No!" said Lorelei, pulling back, "I cannot accept your love! What about the Saber Dolls?"  
  
Faust looked her in the eyes. "They were supposed to take your place once they had matured."  
  
Lorelei tried to stop the tears. "And I was supposed to live down here happily down here with you why they suffered for eternity in my place?"  
  
Faust looked forlorn. "I suppose not. You are too kind for your own good. You care about everyone's happiness except your own.  
  
Lorelei sniffled. "I deserve to be alone forever! I deserve to dry up into a bitter old maid!"  
  
Faust looked pained. "That's not true. You deserve happiness most of all. More than Ieyasu or myself."  
  
He touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She smiled bravely and covered his hand with hers.  
  
Tiger and Panther emerged from Faust Diner as Baiko reached the main entrance. She regarded them coldly.  
  
"Return Lady Lorelei at once," she commanded.  
  
Tiger drew out her whip blade. "Master Faust just wants to talk to her privately! Leave them alone!"  
  
Panther curled her hands into fists. "Even if Master Faust chooses to abandon us, we will always fight for him!"  
  
Baiko drew out her swords. The blades glowed with a greenish tinge. "That is unacceptable. Return her at once."  
  
"Make us!" spat Panther, lunging toward Baiko.  
  
Baiko parried Panther's fist with her blade as Tiger's whip wrapped around the other blade. Tiger retracted the whip, nearly pulling Baiko's sword out of her grasp. She swung her free blade at Panther, who nimbly sidestepped.  
  
Tiger glanced around. "Where's Tamasaburo?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know!" replied Panther, swinging her fist again.  
  
An explosion rocked the rooftops above them. They saw Tamasaburo sparring with an orange haired Marionette wearing overalls.  
  
"Luchs!" yelled Tiger.  
  
Baiko pulled on the entangled blade, causing Tiger to fall onto her face. Tiger retracted the whip, which formed a rigid blade. She attacked Baiko from behind while Panther swung at her from the front. Their arms disappeared in a blur of motion as Baiko expertly blocked their blows. Still, she looked agitated.  
  
"Release Lorelei!" said Baiko.  
  
Tiger grinned. "We don't have to win," she said.  
  
"We just have to keep you busy," jeered Panther.  
  
Above them Tamasaburo and Luchs landed on opposite ends of a roof.  
  
Luch smiled as she fanned out a set of shuriken blades. "A standoff is a victory for us," she said.  
  
Tamasaburo leapt forward and slashed at Luchs, who had jumped out of the way just as Tamasaburo's blade cut through the chimney behind her. She spun her pole arm just in time to deflect the shuriken blades thrown by Luchs. Luchs landed on a rooftop across the alleyway. She put a hand on her hip and smiled.  
  
"Enough!" Lorelei cried.  
  
The Saber Dolls and Imperial Guard froze in place. Lorelei walked out onto the street, followed by Faust.  
  
"Lady Lorelei, are you uninjured?" asked Baiko.  
  
Lorelei nodded. "I'm fine."  
  
"We feared the worst when the Saber Dolls abducted you," said Tamasaburo.  
  
"They didn't abduct me!" countered Lorelei, falling to her knees. "I wanted to go with them. I'm sorry to have deceived you. It's all my fault."  
  
Tamasaburo and Baiko sheathed their weapons. The Saber Dolls gathered around Faust.  
  
"Thank you for everything," said Faust to them.  
  
"It was nothing," said Luchs as she removed the wig.  
  
"Faust," said Lorelei rising to her feet, "What did you want to tell me about the future?"  
  
Faust regarded her. "I want you to promise to make a pure clone of yourself."  
  
"Why?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Faust looked grim. "Because you won't otherwise."  
  
Lorelei looked down. "You're right. I don't see why I should inflict my burdens on another version of myself."  
  
Faust smiled. "Then don't. Just let her make her own memories."  
  
Lorelei laughed. "Alright, but I want you to promise to make another pure clone of yourself."  
  
"Without my memories?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
She nodded.  
  
He turned to the Saber Dolls. "I will entrust the Eleventh to your care. Raise him with firmness and compassion. The memories of the First Faust will die with me."  
  
They knelt before him. "We are not worthy for such a task," said Tiger.  
  
He smiled down at her. "You did a good job with me."  
  
She gasped and looked up at him. He took her hand and helped her up. He then put his hands on Luchs and Panther.  
  
"You will help her," he said.  
  
"Yes my Lord," said Luchs, her voice faltering.  
  
"It will be an honor!" said Panther trying to keep control of her emotions.  
  
Lorelei walked over to Tamasaburo and Baiko. "Let's go," she said to them.  
  
They nodded and started to leave.  
  
"Wait!" cried Luchs.  
  
"What?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"Can I have my clothes back?" said Luchs.  
  
Preview  
  
Finally Lord Faust returns from exile! But many in Gartlant are not happy to see his return! Who is friend and who is foe? What lengths will our Master go to prove himself? No, not the machine! Next time on Saber Dolls G: 'Redemption'. Lord Faust, I love you! 


	3. Redemption

Saber Dolls G  
  
A Saber Marionette Fanfiction  
  
By BG-57  
  
Program 03: Redemption  
  
A solitary Marionette trudged along a mountain path cursing her luck. Panther was wearing blue shorts and a red jacket over a dark blue shirt. A red bandanna was wrapped around her upper arm, just below the exposed square seams near her shoulders.  
  
"Why can't he live in town like everyone else?" she muttered.  
  
The cobblestone trail winded up the side of a hill. As she reached a torii gate at the top she could make out a clearing with a small run down shrine at one end with a porch. A thin man with long black hair was practicing swings with a wooden sword. He was dressed in a blue tunic under a long sleeved purple robe. She folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"Herr Ruebens?" she called out.  
  
He stopped in mid swing, but he did not turn around.  
  
"I don't go by that name now," he said.  
  
Panther waved a hand. "Sorry, I never knew you as Soemon."  
  
He turned to regard her. "It's been a while Panther."  
  
She shrugged. "Whatever. What do you want?"  
  
He smiled. "Blunt as ever I see. Let's go inside."  
  
He led her inside. The interior was Spartan, with few decorations on the walls. In the center of the room was a sunken fireplace. He smiled to a Marionette sitting by the door. She had brown hair and was dressed in a red kimono with a yellow obi.  
  
"Koyuki, tea for two please," he said touching her arm affectionately.  
  
Koyuki began brewing green tea. Soemon and Panther sat next to the fireplace.  
  
"I received a message from Gartlant this morning," he said, "From a member of the Provisional Council."  
  
Panther's eyebrow twitched. "Those are the jerks that banished Lord Faust! What did they want?"  
  
"He told me the Provisional Council wants Lord Faust to return to Gartlant," said Soemon, "They need his help."  
  
Panther blanched. "He said that?"  
  
Soemon smiled quietly. "Not in so many words. But I could tell he was worried."  
  
Panther shook her head. "Wait, why did they contact you then? Why not ask Lord Faust?"  
  
Soemon looked grim. "I still have many contacts in Gartlant. I suspect he didn't want this to be known publicly."  
  
Panther slammed a fist on the table. "Damn them! I ought to go over there and teach them a lesson!"  
  
He nodded. "You'll get your chance."  
  
Koyuki served them cups of tea.  
  
Panther angrily drunk hers in one gulp, then stared out of the window.  
  
Someon sipped his tea. "I'm sure Lord Faust still feels responsible for Gartlant, even if he is unwelcome there."  
  
She looked back at him sadly. "I know. How can we protect Lord Faust from himself?"  
  
Soemon put down his cup. "I think you'll manage. Just be careful."  
  
She nodded and stood. "Thanks for the tea," she said to Koyuki.  
  
"Panther?" asked Soemon.  
  
She stopped at the door. "What?"  
  
He looked at her, his green eyes barely visible. "Give Lord Faust my regards."  
  
Faust sat impassively in the room above the diner. He looked at each of the Saber Dolls in turn.  
  
"Reactions?" he asked.  
  
They looked at each other.  
  
"It could be a trap my Lord," said Tiger.  
  
"The Provisional Council would think of nothing of using you for their own ends," added Luchs.  
  
"I don't trust them!" said Panther vehemently.  
  
He stood and walked over to the window overlooking the bustling street below.  
  
"What do I owe to the people of Gartlant?" he asked quietly.  
  
The Saber Dolls looked at other despairingly.  
  
Tiger went over to him. "My Lord, they told you never return to Gartlant."  
  
He turned to her. "I created Gartlant with my own hands. They are my responsibility."  
  
Tiger sighed and looked down. He put a hand on her shoulder. She blushed and looked back up at him.  
  
"I would never go back unless you agree," he said.  
  
She covered his hand with hers. "Yes my Lord. I will follow you anywhere."  
  
Panther touched her forehead. "Oh, all right! We'll go!"  
  
He looked to Luchs. "We'll stay if you say so."  
  
She shook her head and sighed. "I still think it's dangerous but we should go. You'd never be able to live with yourself my Lord and I can't have that."  
  
Faust nodded. "Do you have a plan?"  
  
She smiled. "My Lord, I always have a plan."  
  
He looked solemn. "I'm sorry to be such a burden."  
  
"Not at all my Lord," said Tiger, squeezing his hand.  
  
"We'll protect you!" added Panther punching a fist into her palm.  
  
"It just gives us another reason to admire you," said Luchs.  
  
"Thank you all," he replied, "Now let's go say our farewells."  
  
Lorelei was monitoring the clone tanks in Castle Japoness when she heard footsteps behind. She turned around. She was wearing glasses and a white lab coat over a plain gray tunic.  
  
"Lord Faust!" she said.  
  
He walked over to her. "Lorelei, I'm leaving for Gartlant tonight."  
  
She looked worried. "That sounds dangerous."  
  
He stood next to her and watched the embryonic clones in the cylindrical tanks. "It will be."  
  
"Do you have to go?" she asked.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I wish I could go with you," she said eventually.  
  
He smiled darkly. "I doubt you'd like Gartlant."  
  
She shook her head. "I don't care about sightseeing. I'd want to meet the people."  
  
He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. "Unfortunately the people you'd like are the one who hate me the most. Not that I blame them."  
  
She smiled to him. "If I can see your goodness, then they will too eventually."  
  
He seemed philosophical. "I'm more worried about you. You need someone to look after you."  
  
"I have Baiko and Tamasaburo to protect me," she replied.  
  
He shook his head. "I meant someone to confide in. You need friends."  
  
She looked up at him. "Well, I have Otaru and his Marionettes."  
  
"Don't you think Otaru Mamiya looks a lot like Ieyasu the First?" he inquired.  
  
She frowned a bit. "Now that you mention it, he does."  
  
"If he had survived, would you.?" he started.  
  
"Would what?" she asked.  
  
He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter now."  
  
"Well take care of yourself," she said.  
  
He nodded. "I will."  
  
"And take care of the Saber Dolls," she added, "Especially Tiger."  
  
"Of course," he replied.  
  
"Be gentle with their hearts please," she said.  
  
"I'd never treat them as playthings now," he said, "But I do not know how to love them the way they deserve."  
  
"Just be true to yourself," she replied.  
  
He looked faintly amused. "Ironic that I come to you for advice."  
  
She smiled sadly. "I'll always be your friend Lord Faust, no matter what."  
  
He nodded. "I know. It means a lot to me."  
  
He left through a metal door. It shut behind him, returning the room to darkness.  
  
"You're leaving?" asked Lime, on the verge of tears.  
  
"Oh don't start crying again," said Tiger sadly.  
  
They were standing outside Otaru's apartment, with a pair of sliding paper doors emblazoned with Otaru's name on both panels.  
  
"Now, don't make things harder for them," said Otaru, placing his hand on Lime's head.  
  
"But I don't want them to go!" she cried.  
  
"Honestly Lime, don't be such a baby!" chided Cherry.  
  
"Thank you for your training Cherry," said Luchs bowing.  
  
Cherry returned with a deeper bow. "Oh no, I wasn't that much help!"  
  
Luchs bowed to Otaru as well. "Thank you for your research data."  
  
Otaru blushed beet-red and rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Ah.you're welcome."  
  
Bloodberry wrapped her arms around Otaru. "Hey Otaru, can I do research on you too?"  
  
"I feel sorry for him," said Panther to Luchs.  
  
"What was that?" demanded Bloodberry, holding up a fist.  
  
Panther grinned and held up her hands. "Just kidding! Calm down!"  
  
Bloodberry sighed and tossed a bottle to Panther. She barely caught it.  
  
"Why are you giving me sake?" asked Panther.  
  
"Send me a bottle of your best Gartlant rockgut in exchange," she replied.  
  
Panther smiled broadly. "Sure. I hope you like schnapps."  
  
Lime hugged Tiger. "Come back soon!" she bawled.  
  
Tiger began to cry herself. "I don't know how long we'll be gone Lime."  
  
"We have to be going," said Luchs.  
  
Tiger embraced Lime. "Tell Lord Faust I'll catch up."  
  
Panther and Luchs nodded and headed off towards the main gate.  
  
"You'd follow your Master anywhere?" asked Tiger.  
  
Lime nodded. "Of course!"  
  
"Then you know why I have to go," she said.  
  
Lime nodded again. "Yeah."  
  
"Write to me, okay?" she said.  
  
"Sure!" said Lime.  
  
Lime let go and Tiger smiled to her.  
  
"Take care of Otaru," she said.  
  
Lime dried her tears. "I'll take care of him!"  
  
"Good luck Tiger," said Otaru, "If you need anything, let me know."  
  
Tiger looked thoughtful. "Actually there may be."  
  
"Name it," he said, grinning.  
  
"Could you write a letter of reference?" she asked.  
  
The road was winding and dusty. Faust had been driving most of the night. As they came over the ridge they saw a long narrow building embedded into a mountainside. It was balanced precariously on the mountain with most of it looming over the slope, with no support underneath.  
  
"The Summer Residence looks the same," commented Luchs, sitting with the other Saber Dolls in the back seat.  
  
"The Provisional Council wants to meet us outside of the city," said Faust.  
  
"Like they're ashamed to meet us!" said Panther angrily.  
  
"Let's see what they have to say," replied Faust.  
  
They drove into a tunnel carved out of the foot of the mountain. They drove through several security doors until they reached an underground parking garage filled with several other vehicles, many of them military.  
  
They all climbed out and looked around the otherwise empty garage.  
  
"Nobody here to welcome us," said Tiger anxiously.  
  
"We know our way around," said Faust, heading for the elevator.  
  
They all climbed in and Faust hit the button for the top floor. It efficiently whirred to life and carried them up thirty stories to the top level. The doors opened, revealing an enormous open space with a low ceiling. Banks of windows along the sides of the elongated room provided dim illumination. The only change was a long conference table. Sitting on one side were military officers, resplendent in dark gray tunics with epaulets, baggy pants and combat boots. Sitting on the other side were few faces familiar to Faust, most of them looked like businessmen and ordinary citizens. Several of the officers stood when Faust entered. Everyone else remained seated.  
  
"Thank you for coming Gelhardt Faust," said a frail old man rising. He had a long white beard and gray colored cloak wrapped around his shoulders.  
  
"Thank you for inviting me," said Faust.  
  
The old man gestured for him to sit and they all did so. The Saber Dolls stood to either side of Faust.  
  
"It's good to see you my Lord," said an officer wearing an arm cast. He had brown hair slicked back and had a conniving expression.  
  
"What happened to your arm Colonel Roland?" asked Faust.  
  
"A small accident my Fuhrer," he said mysteriously glaring at Tiger.  
  
"Don't call him that!" yelled a young man with dark hair sitting across from Roland.  
  
"Why not?" retorted Roland.  
  
"Calm down both of you," said the old man sternly.  
  
"I hold no title in Gartlant now," said Faust.  
  
The officers looked dismayed.  
  
"Many in the Gartlant military feel as Colonel Roland does," said the old man, "And that is adding to our problems."  
  
"The only reason we're having problems is because we're going too easy on the civilians," said another officer, "We're already getting signs of civil unrest. The next step is anarchy!"  
  
"The military was built on the backs of the people!" snapped a businessman.  
  
"That is true," said Faust.  
  
The Council fell silent and regarded him.  
  
"I built Gartlant for conquest and brought nothing but ruin to the people," he said.  
  
"You'll get no sympathy from us," said the old man, "A power hungry dictator can't afford any."  
  
Panther slammed a fist onto the table. "Enough! Lord Faust has repented and all you can do is blame him for everything!"  
  
"Faust, control your Marionette!" snapped a young man with blond hair.  
  
Faust folded his arms across his chest. "Her opinion counts as much as mine," he replied.  
  
"This was a mistake Grandpa," said the blond man.  
  
Tiger looked surprised. "You're the man they call Grandpa?" she asked him.  
  
He nodded. "I wish they wouldn't."  
  
She walked over to him and handed him a letter. "This is from Otaru Mamiya."  
  
The old man's face lit up. "Otaru!" He hastily read through the letter.  
  
"What does it say?" asked Roland.  
  
"It vouches for Faust's good character," he replied.  
  
There was murmuring among the civilian councilors.  
  
"We'll need to discuss this more Faust," said the old man. "We've prepared a room for you. We'll summon you back later."  
  
Panther angrily paced the room. It was ornate, with overwrought baroque decorations, complete with a four poster bed and end tables.  
  
"How long are they going to make us wait?" she asked.  
  
Faust sat in a chair by the wall. "I don't know."  
  
Tiger was sitting on the bed. "I wish we could leave."  
  
"We will if you want." He replied.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
There was a knock on the door. Panther walked over and opened it, and saw Luchs standing there.  
  
"A member of the Provisional Council is here to see Lord Faust," she said.  
  
"Why now?" asked Panther.  
  
"Because he wasn't at the meeting," she replied.  
  
"Show him in," said Faust.  
  
Luchs led in a man with spiky blond hair and cross-shaped earrings. He wore a Garlant uniform complete with epaulets and a cravat around his throat. He smiled evenly at Faust.  
  
"Greetings my Lord," he said.  
  
Faust looked shocked. "Ruebens! What are you doing here?"  
  
"I was asked to join the Provisional Council," he said, "I said I would if they asked you to advise them on forming a new government."  
  
Faust frowned. "You should have stayed in Japoness."  
  
He nodded. "Well that would have been the sensible thing to do. But I sense you have the chance to become the truly great leader you were always capable of being."  
  
Faust held up a hand. "You give me too much credit Ruebens."  
  
"He's right though my Lord," said Luchs.  
  
"We all feel that way about you," said Panther.  
  
Faust turned to the Saber Dolls. "Leave us alone please."  
  
After they left he stood and shook Ruebens' hand. "Thank you for being here. I need someone I can trust."  
  
"I wouldn't trust me my Lord," he said with a twinkle.  
  
"There is something I need to do," said Faust, "Will you help me?"  
  
Ruebens nodded. "Yes, but why ask me? Why not the ask Saber Dolls?"  
  
Faust shook his head. "This is something I promised you a long time ago and never delivered."  
  
Ruebens frowned. "A maiden circuit? Forget about it."  
  
Faust seized his arm. "Do you honestly mean that?" he demanded.  
  
Ruebens looked ashamed. ".no my Lord."  
  
"Good, let's go then," he said.  
  
As the door opened the Saber Dolls in the hallway stood at attention.  
  
"Lord Faust!" said Tiger.  
  
"You three go see the man they call Grandpa," said Faust, "Ask how much longer we'll have to wait."  
  
They knelt before him. "Yes my Lord!" they said together.  
  
After they left Faust opened the door again.  
  
"The coast is clear Ruebens," said Faust.  
  
He came out of the room. "My Lord this is a bad idea."  
  
Faust grimaced. "I don't care. I owe it to you."  
  
The Saber Dolls reached the door of an office. The guards watched them intently. Tiger knocked politely. The door opened. Grandpa stood there.  
  
"Tiger!" he said, "This is a surprise!"  
  
Tiger nodded. "Lord Faust wants to know how much longer we'll have to wait."  
  
He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It'll be a few hours at least."  
  
"Sorry to disturb you," said Luchs.  
  
"It's all right," he said.  
  
They walked down the hallway back to the room.  
  
"Why did he need to send all three of us?" asked Luchs.  
  
"Maybe he wanted to talk with Ruebens alone," suggested Panther.  
  
"Luchs has a point," said Tiger in a worried tone.  
  
She started running. By the time Luchs and Panther reached the room Tiger was leaving.  
  
"They're both gone!" she said.  
  
"Can you find them?" asked Panther.  
  
"Hold on," said Luchs, her violet eyes glowing.  
  
"Hurry please!" said Tiger.  
  
"They're on level 04," said Luchs, "Memory extraction."  
  
"Not again!" screamed Tiger. She ran down the hallway at full speed. She punched through a door and jumped down the middle of a stairwell shaft. She landed twenty floors down, nearly breaking her ankles in the process. She knocked down the door out and ran down the corridor, drawing out her blade whip.  
  
"Please let him be all right!" she begged.  
  
Several guards stood by a security door. They drew their weapons. She swung her blade whip and knocked them together. They fell in a heap across the floor, their weapons scattering past her feet. She readied to smash the control panel when the door suddenly flung open.  
  
"I'm unlocking them for you," said Luchs' voice over the intercom.  
  
"Thanks!" she said running at full speed.  
  
Each security door opened a second before Tiger reached them. At the end of the corridor was a blast door. Tiger ran into it at full speed and bounced off of it.  
  
She rubbed her nose. "Luchs!" she yelled.  
  
"The code has been changed!" said Luchs over the intercom.  
  
Tiger ran her hands over the door. "Hurry! He's in pain!"  
  
By now Panther reached the blast door. She lifted her eyepatch, revealing her amber colored right eye.  
  
"Stand back Tiger!" she shouted.  
  
Tiger dove for cover. An intense beam of light shone out of Panther's eye. It burrowed into the metal heating it up until it was glowing molten in a cloud of steam. She carved out a circular hole out of the center of the door then kicked it in.  
  
Tiger dove through and somersaulted to her feet. Directly ahead of her sat Faust. He was strapped down into what looked like a torture device. A band with wires coming out of it was wrapped around his forehead. A series of four parabolic lenses were evenly spaced around his chair. A giant cylindrical pistol spun above him, emitting a ring of white light. He writhed in agony as memories poured forcibly into him. Ruebens stood at a control panel his expression a mask of sorrow. Tiger sent out her blade whip and broke the piston. She then used the blade to cut the wires connecting Faust to the machine. He slumped forward. She then ferociously attacked the control panel, plunging her fists into it over and over again, causing sparks to shoot out of it. Ruebens collapsed against the far wall. Tiger was screaming incoherently as she smashed the control panel into smaller and smaller pieces. Ruebens looked to his left in time to see Panther standing there, looking furious.  
  
"Panther, let me expla-" he started to say as Panther caught him by the throat. She slammed him into the wall.  
  
"I'll tear your head off!" yelled Panther tightening her grip.  
  
Luchs climbed through the hole in the door and ran over to Faust.  
  
"My Lord!" she said, starting to sob, "Please wake up!"  
  
He opened his eyes. "Panther, let him go." he said weakly.  
  
Panther looked at Faust and dropped Ruebens on the ground with contempt. "I'll never forgive you!" she said to Ruebens.  
  
"That makes two of us," said Ruebens gasping for air.  
  
"I told him to do this," said Faust, struggling to stand.  
  
Luchs gently pushed him down. "Don't strain yourself my Lord."  
  
Tiger had stopped dismantling the machine but just stood there with dead circuitry dangling from her hand.  
  
Panther knelt next to him. "Why did you do it my Lord?" she asked.  
  
He smiled weakly. "I was trying to re-implant the memories of the First. I needed to remember how to make a maiden circuit.for Koyuki."  
  
"Forgive me for agreeing to this my Lord," said Ruebens miserably, "You know my weakness."  
  
Faust nodded, rubbing his forehead. "I think I remember enough to start on another one,"  
  
Ruebens looked distraught. "I am not worthy of such a gift."  
  
Faust sighed. "Tell the Provisional Council I will be indisposed."  
  
He stood at attention. "Yes my Lord!"  
  
After he left Faust looked at Luchs and Panther. "Could you get a medical team down here?"  
  
"At once!" said Panther, running out.  
  
At the door Luchs paused and looked back. "Tiger." she murmured softy.  
  
Faust painfully got out of the chair. "Tiger," he said.  
  
She gasped and dropped the circuitry and her blade whip on the floor, where they clattered noisily. She began to shiver all over.  
  
"Tiger, I'm sorry." he said.  
  
She fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably.  
  
"Forgive me," he said kneeling next to her.  
  
"You idiot!" she screamed, hitting the ground with her fists.  
  
"You have every right to scold me," he said embracing her.  
  
"How could you put me through this again?" she sobbed.  
  
"I have no excuse," he said gently stroking her hair, "I made a promise to Ruebens and I wanted to keep it."  
  
"You could have died!" she said.  
  
He lifted her chin with his hand. "Would anyone really miss me?"  
  
She kissed him on the lips. His eyes widened for a moment but then closed. She broke off the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I would miss you," she said, her tears spilling onto his jacket.  
  
"Tiger." he said his voice faltering.  
  
"I love you Lord Faust," she said, "Dear kind Lord Faust."  
  
Preview  
  
Our maiden circuits will never be used to replace Lorelei, but have they matured enough? Is there a way for Panther, Luchs, and I to all love Lord Faust? Is there a way for him to love all of us? Next time on Saber Dolls G: 'Emulation'. Lord Faust, I love you! 


	4. Emulation

Saber Dolls G  
  
A Saber Marionette Fanfiction  
  
By BG-57  
  
Program 04: Emulation  
  
Dawn had risen hours ago over the city-state of Gartlant but the smog made it difficult to tell. Industrial and military factories ringed the outer edges of the cities. Cheerless high rise apartments made of concrete formed the inner ring of the city. A massive black edifice with a central tower flanked by smaller pyramidal buildings dominated the center of the city. The Saber Dolls walked down a side street dressed in gray hooded cloaks that hid their faces.  
  
"It doesn't look that different," said Panther.  
  
"The Kanzlei is still there," said Tiger, looking at the central building.  
  
"There are no posters of Lord Faust anymore," said Luchs, sighing.  
  
"Not surprising I guess," said Tiger sadly.  
  
They reached an intersection. On a wall was a picture with a caricature of Faust, with evil eyes, pointy teeth and horns.  
  
"Argh!" said Panther ripping down the poster, crumpling it up and throwing it into a nearby bin marked 'papierkorb'.  
  
"Just as well we told Lord Faust to stay behind," commented Luchs.  
  
"Panther, don't go on a rampage," said Tiger, "We don't want to attract attention."  
  
She was busy stomping the trash with her foot. "Unforgivable! How dare they mock Lord Faust!"  
  
"Panther!" said Tiger sharply.  
  
Panther was breathing heavily as she looked at Tiger. "I hear you," she said huffily.  
  
"Good," said Tiger, "Let's go."  
  
They walked a few more blocks until they reached a high rise, indistinguishable from the dozens nearby except it had a different number on the side.  
  
"It's this one," said Luchs.  
  
They climbed the outside stairwell until they reached the seventh floor. They walked down an outside corridor until they reached an apartment door marked '717'.  
  
Luchs knocked on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" asked a small voice.  
  
"We're friends of Otaru Mamiya," said Tiger.  
  
The door opened revealing a young boy. He had light brown hair and was dressed in a blue shirt and tan pants. His blue eyes widened in terror when he recognized them.  
  
"Ah! The Saber Dolls! Spare me!" he screamed, running back inside.  
  
"Wait!" said Tiger running after him.  
  
She looked around the apartment. A single bed against the wall, no tables or furniture. She got on all fours and peered under the bed. The young boy cowered in the corner.  
  
"Don't be afraid," she said reaching out a hand, "I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
He crawled backwards until he hit the wall.  
  
She sighed and placed a small bag on the floor halfway between them.  
  
"Michael right?" she asked. "I'm Tiger. These are from Otaru Mamiya."  
  
He stared at her fearfully.  
  
She rested her chin on her hands. "Although I think Cherry made them. They're cookies Michael."  
  
"Mikey," he said haltingly.  
  
"Mikey then," she said smiling.  
  
Two pairs of feet appeared on either side on Tiger. One was clad in jackboots, the other in high heels.  
  
"Where's the little pipsqueak?" said Panther's voice.  
  
"Under here," said Tiger sighing.  
  
"You might not want to call him that," suggested Luchs' voice.  
  
Panther peered under the bed. "There you are you little rascal!"  
  
"Panther I think we're scaring him," said Tiger backing out.  
  
"We'd better go then," said Luchs.  
  
Mikey watched them leave then grabbed the bag of cookies.  
  
"I wish this didn't happen to us," said Tiger sadly as they walked down the street.  
  
"I wish Lord Faust would want to leave Gartlant," said Luchs.  
  
"I wish I had Lord Faust all to myself," countered Panther.  
  
Tiger and Luchs glared at her.  
  
"Hey! It's not like you weren't thinking the same thing," she said defiantly.  
  
"We have to share him," said Luchs.  
  
Tiger nodded. "I'd rather have part of him than nothing at all."  
  
"Speak for yourselves," said Panther making a fist, "I'll make him forget Lady Lorelei."  
  
"How?" asked Luchs with a smirk.  
  
"What if." began Tiger.  
  
They both looked at her.  
  
"Go on," said Luchs.  
  
"Let's ask our maiden circuits," said Tiger touching her chest.  
  
"Mine doesn't do fortune telling," said Panther irritably.  
  
"I mean together," she said.  
  
They regarded each other warily.  
  
"I think it's worth a try," said Luchs.  
  
"Nothing to lose, right?" said Tiger.  
  
Panther sighed. "Oh all right."  
  
They joined hands. They felt a strange glow as their circuits connected. In their minds appeared a strange door marked '01A' in a gloomy corridor. The image dissolved to a large tower in central Gartlant.  
  
Tiger opened her eyes. "The Kanzlei!" she said.  
  
Luchs looked over at the center of Gartlant. "Let's go."  
  
They made their way to the Kanzlei, keeping to back alleys and side streets. Eventually they reached the side entrance. Luchs began expertly decoding the security lock. The door rumbled open and they made their way inside.  
  
"Did you ever remember a door marked '01A'?" asked Tiger.  
  
"A long time ago," said Luchs, her eyes glowing a violet hue in the darkness, "Soon after I was made I tried to access that door and Lord Faust punished me most severely."  
  
"Why would he want to hide it from us?" asked Panther.  
  
"It must have been something to do with us," said Tiger.  
  
"This way," said Luchs, leading them down several flights of stairs.  
  
They hid in a darkened doorway as a security patrol marched past.  
  
Eventually they reached a disused corridor. They reached a dead end at a door marked '01A'.  
  
Panther put her hand on the door and brushed a layer of dirt off of it. "Yuck," she said.  
  
Luchs inspected it. "There's no keypad or handle that I can see. No retinal or vocal scanner either."  
  
Panther banged on the door. "Let us in!" she yelled.  
  
"Quiet!" hissed Tiger grabbing Panther's wrist.  
  
Luchs touched the door next to Tiger and Panther and it smoothly opened with a faint hiss. They nearly tumbled into the room beyond.  
  
"It's the Mesopotamia!" exclaimed Luchs, her eyes wide.  
  
Indeed it did look like the computer core of the space colony ship Mesopotamia. A giant beam spanned across the upper third of the room with a high ceiling. Mounted in the center of the beam was a cylindrical pillar that jutted straight out toward them. In the middle were three concave holes in a triangular formation. A staircase led up to a platform beneath the pillar.  
  
"It's a model of the computer core!" said Luchs breathlessly. "It looks just like the real one."  
  
"The Mesopotamia?" asked Panther, "Why would our Master want to build another one?"  
  
Tiger climbed up the stairs and hesitantly touched the recesses in the pillar. She brushed dust off of a metal plate under one of the slots.  
  
"GSM-02L," she read.  
  
She brushed dust off another plate.  
  
"GSM-03P," she said.  
  
She began to dust off the third one but stopped.  
  
"I know what the third one says," she said quietly.  
  
Panther climbed up and brushed off the dust.  
  
"GSM-01T," she read.  
  
"This is designed to hold our maiden circuits," said Luchs from the top of the stairs.  
  
"But why?" said Tiger.  
  
Luchs inspected a terminal nearby. "This still has some data on it. I'll try to restore it."  
  
A small screen lit up with the image of Faust. His mouth was moving but no sound came out. They realized with a shock that it was not their current master, but the very first Faust. His hair was shorter and he was wearing a baggy white spacesuit. The sneer was identical though.  
  
"I can't hear anything," said Panther.  
  
"Give me a moment," said Luchs, typing furiously.  
  
Suddenly Faust's voice came from the speakers. It sounded distant and tinny.  
  
"-ut I'm doubtful it will bring results. At least in my lifetime. Ieyasu is serious about his maiden circuits, which would be more comforting if he didn't just sit on them! But I'm not going to wait around for somebody else to mature them! I'm going to do it myself!"  
  
"Do you think Lord Faust remembers making this message?" asked Panther.  
  
Luchs shook her head. "I don't know."  
  
"I sent blueprints to the others, but they didn't seem interested. Useless fools! Why couldn't have Lorelei been spared instead of these cretins I'm forced to work with? Never mind. Joy seems hopeful he can stabilize the clones' cellular structure. If you are a future clone of myself, I beg you to rescue Lorelei! Nothing else matters except her! This emulator has self-guiding protocols in it. Just insert the maiden circuits in the three slots. If they are sufficiently matured, then the emulation program will work. If it doesn't work use the GSM-02L maiden circuit to perform a diagnostic."  
  
Luchs shivered as she heard Faust speaking of her so callously.  
  
"The prototype Marionettes won't be able to handle these circuits. It will take several years to develop ones that can. Even then, three circuits would be too much for one Marionette to handle. I recommend using three Marionettes. But if you receive my memories you'll know this already."  
  
The image of Faust just sat there glaring silently out of the screen.  
  
"Get started! Don't waste any time! End of transmission."  
  
The image faded into static. The glow of the screen illuminated the Saber Dolls faces.  
  
Tiger turned to Luchs and Panther. "I want to try it."  
  
"Are you crazy?" asked Luchs, "We don't need this thing now that Lorelei has been rescued!"  
  
"Don't you want to know if your maiden circuit has matured?" asked Tiger.  
  
"Is there another way to tell?" asked Panther.  
  
Luchs sighed. "I don't know of one."  
  
"Then I want to know," said Panther striding over.  
  
She took off her jacket and unbuttoned the bottom of her shirt. She flipped open her chest panel and removed her maiden circuit. Tiger walked over and removed her maiden circuit as well. She regarded Luchs evenly.  
  
"We all need to do it," she said.  
  
Luchs stood. "Of course I want to know! But we don't know what this program will do to us!"  
  
"Our maiden circuits told us this was the answer," said Panther.  
  
"Don't you trust you own heart?" asked Tiger.  
  
Luch sighed, exasperated. "All right!"  
  
She walked over and removed her maiden circuit. All three of them inserted their maiden circuits into the slots at the same time. Tiger's maiden circuit began to glow red, Luchs' blue and Panther's yellow. Their eyes became dull and lifeless as steam hissed out of the joints of the emulator. A set of hydraulic lifts whirred into life and raised a metal cylinder out of the floor behind the Saber Dolls. A lid on the front of the cylinder swung open, revealing a Marionette lying inside. Her eyes opened.  
  
"Emulator 01A activated," she said tonelessly, "Downloading maiden circuit data. GSM-01T.complete. GSM-O2L.complete. GSM-03P.complete."  
  
She blinked and climbed out of the cylinder. She turned and looked at the Saber Dolls.  
  
"I remember you all," she said warmly, "You are all a part of me."  
  
She put a hand on Luchs' shoulder. She frowned when she saw that she was staring blankly ahead. She turned and looked at the screen above the terminal. She gasped at what she saw. She saw a reflection of a young woman dressed in a skintight black jumpsuit. Her long hair was a brilliant orange brown and her eyes were a luminous green. She put her hands to her face.  
  
"I look like Lorelei!" she exclaimed, "Wait, I am her! I'm supposed to replace the real Lorelei."  
  
She smirked impishly. "I wonder if Lord Faust will be able to tell?"  
  
Ruebens knocked tentatively on the door.  
  
"Come in," said Faust writing at a desk.  
  
He stepped inside. "How are you feeling my Lord?" he asked.  
  
He looked up. "My head's still splitting but I'm getting better."  
  
Ruebens looked down. "You shouldn't have re-implanted those memories of the First."  
  
Faust held up a sketch of a cylindrical circuit. "It does wonders with the memory."  
  
Reubens took it. "The maiden circuit. Can you really build one my Lord?"  
  
Faust sighed. "Well normally I'd ask Ieyasu, but Lorelei would be able to help. Between us we should be able to manage it."  
  
Reubens started to get misty eyed but managed to reign his feelings back in. He handed the sketch back to Faust.  
  
"I don't want to get my hopes up my Lord," he said, "Still I'm deeply moved that you are trying to do this for Koyuki and I."  
  
Faust regarded him sadly. "I can't live with myself unless I try to make up for my mistakes."  
  
There was another knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," said Faust.  
  
The door stayed still.  
  
"Come in!" he repeated louder.  
  
The door slowly crept open. An old man and a young boy stood in the doorway.  
  
"Little Mikey here wants to say something," said the old man.  
  
They turned to look at Mikey, who gasped at the sight of Faust and hid behind the old man.  
  
"Grandpa it's Lord Faust!" he said, looking terrified.  
  
"Don't worry, I don't bite," said Faust evenly.  
  
Mikey's curiosity got the better of his fear.  
  
"Where's Tiger?" he asked.  
  
"She said she had to run an errand in Gartlant," replied Faust, leaning on his hand.  
  
"She brought me cookies," he said meekly.  
  
Faust tried to suppress a smile. "Were they good?"  
  
He nodded wide-eyed.  
  
"I'll tell her you came by," he said.  
  
"What do we say Mikey?" asked the old man.  
  
"Thank you," he said.  
  
Faust nodded and the door shut again. As the old man and Mikey down the corridor they saw a young woman with orange brown hair walking the other way. She was dressed in black clothing and a gray cape. She smiled at them.  
  
"Hello Mikey," she said.  
  
She walked past them. After she was gone, he tugged at the old man's sleeve.  
  
"Grandpa, who was that?" he asked.  
  
The old man just gaped. "It can't be!"  
  
There was a knock on Faust's door. He pounded his fist on the desk.  
  
"How many people are going to call on me?" he snapped.  
  
"I'll get it," said Reubens hastily.  
  
His green eyes opened wide when he saw who was there.  
  
"Lady Lorelei!" he exclaimed.  
  
Faust rose to his feet. "Lorelei!" he said.  
  
Lorelei smiled to Ruebens and bowed.  
  
"Good evening," she said, "I've come to pay my respects to Lord Faust."  
  
He returned the bow and stood to one side. "My name is Ruebens. I'm on the Provisional Council. Lord Faust is this way."  
  
She walked inside and she and Faust regarded each other.  
  
"Goodnight my Lord," said Ruebens, closing the door after him.  
  
"Goodnight," replied Faust, still watching Lorelei.  
  
He sat heavily in his chair. She sat on the bed gracefully.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.  
  
"I want to visit all of Terra II," she replied, "Starting with Gartlant."  
  
He shook his head. "It was supposed to be a dream city for you. Now it's more like a nightmare."  
  
"I'm not here for sightseeing," she said, "I want to meet the people of Gartlant."  
  
"You told me that before," he said quietly.  
  
She blinked. "I did?"  
  
He frowned a little. "Yes. It was right before I left Japoness."  
  
She smiled. "That's right."  
  
"I'll talk with the Provisional Council," said Faust, "They'll arrange a visit to Gartlant."  
  
"I'd like a tour guide," she said.  
  
"Ruebens," suggested Faust, "He's very knowledgeable." She shook her head. "I was thinking of asking you Lord Faust."  
  
He frowned. "I'm not very popular there. I'd be a liability."  
  
She folded her arms across her chest. "They wouldn't dare touch you with me there!"  
  
He sighed and held up a hand. "Very well. I never could argue with you."  
  
She smiled. "Thank you Lord Faust."  
  
He nodded and looked over the paper on his desk.  
  
She walked over and looked over his shoulder. "You're making another maiden circuit?" she asked.  
  
He nodded. "For Koyuki. She's Ruebens' Marionette. I was going to ask you to help me with the design specifications. I think we can make an improved model."  
  
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His face reddened.  
  
"L-Lorelei.!" he said.  
  
"I'm sorry Lord Faust," she said hugging him tightly.  
  
He couldn't look at her. "Lorelei, I thought you said you could not accept my love. We agreed it was for the best."  
  
"I was being selfish," she whispered into his ear, "Please forgive me."  
  
He put his hand over hers. "There's nothing to forgive."  
  
He could feel her heart hammering against his back.  
  
"Lord Faust, come with me," she said.  
  
She got up and walked over to the window and opened it. Moonlight poured into the room, bathing her in ethereal light. She looked back and smiled at him. He got up and slowly walked over to her. He put her hands around his neck and tilted her head up. She closed her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist. He broke off the kiss and looked at her fearfully.  
  
"Lorelei are you sure about this?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "I can't deny myself anymore Lord Faust."  
  
"Call me Gelhardt," he said softly.  
  
"Gelhardt," she breathed.  
  
He kissed her again, this time passionately. His powerful hands on her shoulders felt surprisingly gentle. She pulled his jacket off of his shoulders where it fell to the floor. He undid the snaps on her cape, which dropped behind her. He picked her up in his arms. She smiled and leaned her head against his chest, feeling his warmth. He carried her to bed and laid her across it. He climbed over her and kissed her forehead. He looked down lovingly at her.  
  
"I'm not worthy to love you Lorelei," he said.  
  
She put a finger to his lips. "No more words."  
  
He nodded and undid the buttons on her collar. She ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed the hollow of her throat. He kissed her hands, each in turn and then rolled up her sleeve and kissed her arm. He stopped when he reached her shoulder. He stared in stupefied amazement as he noticed the square seam marking the connection joint between her arm and shoulder.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
He fell backwards off the bed onto the floor.  
  
She sat up on the bed, breathing heavily, her hair in disarray. "Are you alright?" she asked.  
  
"01A," he said almost inaudibly.  
  
She brought her hands together across her chest and began to cry.  
  
"Lorelei," he began, "I mean.01A. You're emulating the Saber Dolls?"  
  
She nodded and buried her face in her hands.  
  
He seemed lost. "The maiden circuits have matured then."  
  
He got up and pulled her into an embrace. "Tiger, Luchs and Panther are all part of you then."  
  
"Forgive me," she said crying on his shoulder, "We all wanted to love you and you loved only Lorelei."  
  
"No, you should forgive me," he said sadly, "I chase after dreams and ignore the love that has always been by my side."  
  
"I don't understand," she said, "How could the First have made me if Marionettes weren't advanced enough?"  
  
"The Sixth made you," said Faust, "He despaired of ever rescuing Lorelei in time so he made you to replace her."  
  
She looked into his eyes. "Will you accept me?"  
  
He sighed. "What about the Saber Dolls?"  
  
She touched her heart. "They are all part of me. All of them are happy to be with you like this. That's all they have dreamed of."  
  
"Marionettes with maiden circuits can only survive with the love of a man," he reflected bitterly.  
  
"You meant it in a cruel way to them, but it is true," she said, "Can you love a Marionette Gelhardt? Any Marionette?"  
  
He nodded slowly. "I.yes. I can love a Marionette."  
  
She smiled bravely then winced in pain.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
She clutched her heart. "The maiden circuits.are.overloading the emulator."  
  
A vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the Kanzlei, tires squealing. Faust got out and pulled a young woman out and carried her up the front steps. The guards stared in disbelief at him.  
  
"You're Lord Faust!" said one dressed in a long coat and goggles under a round helmet.  
  
"Let me by," hissed Faust.  
  
"We have orders." began the other guard.  
  
"Let me by damn it!" he yelled, his face contorted in rage.  
  
The guards reflexively snapped to attention.  
  
"Yes Lord Faust!" said the first guard.  
  
The other guard pushed a button and the main door rumbled opened. Faust carried Lorelei down the huge metallic corridor, his footsteps echoing oddly on the floor. He ran down a flight of stairs and reached the dark corridor. He ran to the end and through the door marked '01A'. Once inside he looked up in wonder at the lifeless Saber Dolls, still connected to their maiden circuits by a few cables. The three circuits glowed intensely. He carried Lorelei up the stairs.  
  
"Remove the circuits," she said weakly.  
  
He looked down at her sorrowfully. "Lorelei, no. I can't.kill you."  
  
She shook her head and smiled sadly. "You're too noble for your own good Gelhardt."  
  
He slowly sunk to his knees. "Somehow the maiden circuits are too powerful for the emulator. It's my fault."  
  
She touched his face with her hand. "If I die the Saber Dolls will live."  
  
Tears spilled out of the corners of his eyes. "Lorelei.I'm sorry."  
  
She shook her head. "I'm just a simulation of the real Lorelei. You can't really love a copy."  
  
He rested his cheek against hers. "You're real to me."  
  
She closed her eyes. "Just love them the way you love me."  
  
She fell silent. Behind Faust the computer monitor lit up with the First's visage.  
  
"Excellent! If you are receiving this message it means the maiden circuits are at capacity. Now go quickly to the Mesopotamia and rescue Lorelei! It will accept the maiden circuits in her place. There's no time to lo-"  
  
The message was abruptly cut off by Faust's fist plunging into the screen, shattering the glass. Electricity arced off the broken screen as blood trickled down his wrist. With his free arm he cradled the lifeless Lorelei. He sobbed openly.  
  
Animation returned to the Saber Dolls' eyes. They retrieved their maiden circuits and looked at each other awkwardly. Tiger walked over to Faust and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Gelhardt," She said crying.  
  
He looked up suddenly, his cheeks wet. "Tiger, you called me Gelhardt."  
  
She blushed furiously and knelt down next to him. "Please forgive me!"  
  
Luchs and Panther knelt next to him as well.  
  
"We will accept any punishment you choose to give," said Luchs.  
  
"Forgive our impudence," said Panther.  
  
He cradled Lorelei's head with his bloody hand. "You felt everything she felt?"  
  
"Yes," said Luchs looking embarrassed.  
  
Panther tore a strip of cloth from her shirt and bandaged Faust's hand.  
  
"The only one who was punished was me," he said slowly, "And it was by my own hand."  
  
He stood up and carried Lorelei down the stairs. He put her in the cylindrical capsule and pressed a button on the surface. The door swung shut and the cylinder retracted back into the floor. Tiger, Luchs, and Panther joined him.  
  
"Lord Faust?" asked Tiger.  
  
"Gelhardt," he said firmly, "You are my equals."  
  
"Lord Faust, we're just Marionettes," said Luchs.  
  
"You are equal to any human on Terra II," he said, "I'm just beginning to understand that."  
  
"My Lord, did you mean it when you said you could love a Marionette?" asked Panther.  
  
He nodded, absently rubbing his injured hand.  
  
"Could it be one of us?" asked Tiger.  
  
"Yes," he simply said.  
  
"Have you.chosen one of us?" asked Luchs hesitantly.  
  
He shook his head. "Not yet."  
  
The Saber Dolls looked at each other then back to him.  
  
"Let's go my Lord," suggested Tiger.  
  
She led Faust out of the room. Panther left, followed by Luchs who glanced quietly back to the deserted room. The door silently closed behind them and the emulator powered down. The lights snapped off, plunging the room into darkness. All was silence.  
  
Preview  
  
There's been a coup d'etat! A military faction wants Lord Faust to become Fuhrer again! What if he refuses? Will he succumb to the darkness in his soul? Must we to save him from himself? Next time on Saber Dolls G: 'Dark Mirror'. Lord Faust, I love you! 


	5. Dark Mirror

Saber Dolls G  
  
A Saber Marionette Fanfiction  
  
By BG-57  
  
Program 05: Dark Mirror  
  
Tiger walked through a set of metal double doors that opened automatically. On the other side was a well-appointed gym. It was long with a high ceiling that was lit by florescent lights. Mats hung on hooks along the walls, blocking any light from the windows. Treadmills and stationary bicycles stood nearby. Swords and other melee weapons hung on racks surrounding a sunken square sparring floor. In the far corner was the weight room: barbells, weight machines, a bench press and punching bags. Panther was busy pounding the daylights out of one of the larger punching bags, working with furious jabs. Luchs sat on the seat of the bench press and watched cheerfully.  
  
"Damn! Damn it all to hell!" yelled Panther, slamming the punching back so hard it kept swinging up and hitting the ceiling.  
  
Tiger walked over. "Panther are you all right?" she asked.  
  
"Leave me alone!" barked Panther.  
  
"Luchs what's wrong with-?" she began.  
  
Luchs was blushing beet-red with her hands over her face and giggling.  
  
Tiger put her hands on her hips. "Not you too?"  
  
Panther slammed a fist into the punching bag causing it to rupture and spill out sand. It quickly formed a pile that buried her feet. She let her arms drop limply by her side. She slowly turned toward Tiger.  
  
"What is this burning in my heart?" she demanded angrily.  
  
Tiger looked confused. "It's your love for Lord Faust isn't it?"  
  
Panther shook her head. "I've never felt like this before."  
  
"He kissed us," said Luchs happily. "When we were joined as one in 01A. Weren't his lips soft?"  
  
Tiger blushed as Luchs began to hug herself.  
  
"But what would have happened next?" demanded Panther.  
  
Luchs shook her head. "I'm not sure. I never got to finish my research with Otaru Mamiya."  
  
Tiger sighed and leaned against the wall, her arms folded across her chest. She turned to Luchs.  
  
"Panther," she said.  
  
"I'm Luchs," said Luchs.  
  
"Are you okay Tiger?" asked Panther.  
  
Tiger pushed up the brim of her cap and put a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry. Our minds were joined together and I'm not used to it."  
  
"We got pieces of each other when we separated," said Luchs.  
  
Panther scratched her face awkwardly. "Y'know, I never knew how much you two admired me."  
  
"Your strength and force of will is amazing," said Luchs, putting a hand on Panther arm.  
  
"But you are so smart and efficient Luchs," said Tiger.  
  
"You're the most caring and loving Tiger," said Luchs, "I'm just a cold fish."  
  
"And I'm a hotheaded bimbo," said Panther cheerfully.  
  
Tiger began to cry and embraced both of them. Panther and Luchs exchanged glances.  
  
"Hey, it'll be okay," said Panther consolingly.  
  
"I love you both," said Tiger, "I don't want you to get hurt."  
  
"Hurt?" asked Luchs, her violet eyes wide, "Yes, if Lord Faust chooses one of us, what will become of the other two?"  
  
They stood apart. Tiger hung her head.  
  
"If only we could have stayed as one," reflected Panther bitterly, "Then Lord Faust wouldn't have to choose."  
  
"Maybe we could be his harem," said Luchs thoughtfully.  
  
"Are you nuts?" yelled Panther grasping her collar.  
  
Luchs moved Panther's hand off her lapel. "We each have traits he admires. Why not share his love?"  
  
Tiger ran off still crying and left through the double doors.  
  
"Tiger.," said Panther.  
  
The lights flickered and went out.  
  
Panther and Luchs caught up with Tiger in the main corridor.  
  
"What happened to the power?" asked Panther.  
  
Luchs frowned, her eyes glowing. "I'm blocked from the database."  
  
They reached the main conference room. The Provisional Council was seated along the oblong table, the old man called Grandpa at one end and Faust at the other end. Soldiers in black trench coats and goggles and round helmets surrounded them, with drawn weapons.  
  
Tiger drew out her blade whip and Luchs fanned out a set of shuriken blades.  
  
Colonel Roland swiveled his chair and smirked. "Order your Saber Dolls to stand down."  
  
Faust folded his arms and closed his eyes. "I rely on their judgement."  
  
Roland pounded a fist on the desk. "Fine! Drop your weapons you damn Marionettes!"  
  
"Never!" said Panther.  
  
Roland arched an eyebrow. "You wouldn't want your beloved Fuhrer to get hurt, would you?"  
  
"You need Lord Faust to rule Gartlant," said Tiger, clenching the handle of her blade whip.  
  
"Then I'll kill the rest of the Provisional Council," said Roland nonchalantly.  
  
Tiger and Luchs threw their weapons onto the floor.  
  
"Good girls," said Roland, "Men, escort our guests to their cells."  
  
The soldiers led the members of the Provisional Council away, leaving just Roland, Faust and the Saber Dolls.  
  
"So you want to rule Gartlant Roland?" demanded Faust coldly.  
  
He chuckled. "No, you misunderstand my Fuhrer. You will rule Gartlant!"  
  
"I've given up that ambition long ago," said Faust sadly.  
  
Roland sighed. "I don't understand Fuhrer! What happened? You were once so strong and now you're just a shell of the great man I once knew!"  
  
"You will never understand Lord Faust!" said Luchs angrily.  
  
"Fine," said Roland darkly, "I'll give you a week to cool off. Then we'll see if you have what it takes to rule Gartlant again."  
  
He tapped a button on his chair and soldiers entered the room again.  
  
"Escort them to security," said Roland, "And keep them in separate cells!"  
  
After they were led away Ruebens entered the room from a side door. Roland swiveled his chair to face him.  
  
"Can you finish in a week?" asked Ruebens.  
  
"Yes, but I can't guarantee the results," replied Ruebens.  
  
"Good," said Roland grimly, "No matter what, Lord Faust is going to be the next ruler of Gartlant!"  
  
Tiger had given up trying to call for help after the first few days. She stared again at the barren cell: plain white walls, a bed, a security door and a box of field rations. She slumped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.  
  
"I hope Lord Faust and the others are alright," she mused.  
  
She gasped as she saw the tiny vent in the ceiling start to shift. It was pulled back to reveal a young boy's face.  
  
"Mikey!" said Tiger.  
  
Mikey put a finger to his lips. "Shh!"  
  
Tiger was amazed. "Have you been hiding all this time?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I was in my room playing when suddenly I heard soldiers storming the building," said Mikey, "So I hid."  
  
Tiger looked solemn. "You must be hungry."  
  
He nodded and she threw up a few packets of field rations.  
  
"Thanks Tiger," he said, "I'm sorry I was afraid of you before."  
  
She smiled warmly. "Well I was scary before so I don't blame you."  
  
"Oh yeah! Can you climb through the vent?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "It's too narrow. But you can still help us get out."  
  
"How?" he asked.  
  
She frowned and paced. "Luchs is better at formulating plans. Can you find her cell?"  
  
"Sure thing!" said Mikey.  
  
"Be brave," she said as he shut the vent.  
  
Mikey wiggled through the ductwork until he reached another vent. He peered out and saw the top of the heads of two men.  
  
"Colonel Roland, the repairs are nearly complete," said the man with spiky blond hair.  
  
"Excellent Ruebens," said Roland, "Has the process been completed?"  
  
"Yes," replied Ruebens, "The subject shows no abnormal signs so far."  
  
Roland stopped. "I'm curious why you agreed to help me, Ruebens. You've always been loyal to Lord Faust."  
  
"Lord Faust was meant to rule Gartlant, Colonel," replied Ruebens, "I want to help him realize that."  
  
Roland laughed. "You Japoness are always so crafty! Just remember that if you stab me in the back, Koyuki will pay."  
  
Ruebens frowned. "There's no need to resort to threats."  
  
They continued down the corridor. "Maybe you can talk sense into Lord Faust then."  
  
Mikey crawled through and intersection and reached another vent. He looked down and saw another cell with a form under the blankets. He cautiously opened the vent.  
  
"Luchs?" he asked.  
  
A hand reached into the vent and pulled his head out. He began to scream and came face to face with Luchs, who was wedged against the upper corner of the room. She blinked and released him.  
  
"You're Mikey aren't you?" she asked.  
  
He put his hand to his throat. "Wow are you some sort of ninja?"  
  
She chuckled. "I'm sorry, I was preparing a trap to get out."  
  
He grinned. "Tiger sent me. She said to ask you to come up with a plan."  
  
Luchs put a hand to her chest. "I'm glad Tiger is okay. I'm come up with several plans, but none are likely to succeed."  
  
Mikey's face fell.  
  
"But you have given me a new idea," said Luchs brightening. "The vent is too small for us to get out, but you can get part of us out."  
  
Mikey looked worried. "Part of you? How will that help?"  
  
"I'll tell you Mikey," said Luchs, "Now listen carefully, you need to do exactly what I say.."  
  
There was a polite knock on Tiger's cell door.  
  
She sat up in bed. "Yes?"  
  
"It's me," said Faust's voice.  
  
"My Lord!" she exclaimed, "Come in!"  
  
The door beeped several times and opened with a faint hiss. It slid open to reveal Faust. Tiger gasped when she saw him. His long golden hair was untied so it fell on either side of his face. He was dressed in a long black cape with enormous epaulets over a vest with a cravat at the collar and baggy pantaloons with black jackboots. He regarded her imperiously.  
  
"Leave me alone with the Marionette," he said to the guard without breaking Tiger's gaze.  
  
"But Fuhrer!" protested the guard.  
  
Faust gave him a withering glance and he pressed the code lock. The door swung shut again and sealed.  
  
Tiger reached out her hand and tentatively touched his arm. "Lord Faust?" she asked.  
  
He looked down at her fondly. She began to cry and nearly fell into his embrace.  
  
"This is my fault Tiger," he said enfolding her in his arms, "I got you all in this mess, because of my selfish pride."  
  
She shook her head. "No my Lord. We all agreed this was for the best. We knew the risks."  
  
"I'm sorry Tiger," he said, "I know what I must do, but I need your strength."  
  
She sighed and leaned her head against his massive chest. "Of course Lord Faust. I will do anything you ask me to."  
  
He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away. "No Tiger. You are not my slave. Any relationship between us must be equal to work."  
  
She stared up into his blue eyes. "Equals? But my Lord, I'm a Marionette and you're human."  
  
He stared at her intensely. "No, I'm a man and you're a woman."  
  
She frowned. "I don't understand."  
  
He sighed. "Never mind."  
  
He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. She blushed and covered her mouth with her hand.  
  
"I love you Tiger," he said as he rapped on the door behind him.  
  
"Wait!" she cried, clutching fiercely to him. "I love you too Lord Faust!"  
  
He smiled and held the palm of his hand against her cheek. "I know. I just want to have no regrets."  
  
"Please don't say farewell my Lord," said Tiger crying against his arm.  
  
"I'll see you later then," he said as the door slid open. She clung to his side, tears rolling down her face. The guard finally pushed them apart. Tiger slumped to the floor and looked up at Faust.  
  
"Did you say the same thing to Luchs and Panther?" she asked.  
  
He smiled faintly to her as the door slid shut with a faint hiss.  
  
The guards escorted Faust down a hallway to a massive room with large pillars supporting a lofty ceiling. Red carpeting covered a path leading up a dais. Several cameras were pointing toward the podium. Colonel Roland and Ruebens were standing near the main entrance.  
  
"What do you want me to say?" asked Faust.  
  
"Nothing too complicated," said Roland smoothly, "Just announce that you reclaim your position as Fuhrer of Gartlant."  
  
"And if I don't?" he retorted.  
  
"We execute you and your Saber Dolls," said Ruebens.  
  
"I understand," said Faust as he walked toward the podium.  
  
Roland signaled the cameras to begin recording and Faust walked up the steps of the dais and faced toward the cameras.  
  
"Citizens of Gartlant, I, Gelhardt von Faust, have an important announcement to make. As you all know, Gartlant is the greatest of all nations on Terra II! And because Gartlant is great, it needs great leadership. Therefore, I have decided after much consideration that Gartlant must be ruled someone other than me."  
  
"What?" said Roland in disbelief.  
  
"I formally renounce any ambitions to ever rule Gartlant again. I have already done enough damage. For the future of Gartlant and all of Terra II I will.."  
  
He stopped as he saw the lights on the cameras go off.  
  
The sound of applause echoed through the empty hall.  
  
"Bravo!" said Roland, "Great speech!"  
  
Faust stood there and glared at Roland.  
  
"You knew the consequences my Lord," said Ruebens, "So why?"  
  
"Surely you of all people know why," said Faust, "My life is unimportant compared to the welfare of my people."  
  
"And your Saber Dolls as well?" demanded Roland.  
  
"In the grand scheme of things, yes," he said regretfully.  
  
Roland hit his fist into the intercom. "Kill the Saber Dolls! Bring a firing squad here on the double!"  
  
Ruebens shook his head. "I tried to convince you my Lord. But I feared you wouldn't cooperate, so we prepared a contingency plan."  
  
"Contingency?" asked Faust as they felt the room rumble and shake.  
  
He frowned as he recognized the deep metallic roar above the building.  
  
"The Zaubelberg!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Operation Phoenix is underway," announced Ruebens.  
  
The giant viewscreen behind Faust flickered to life. He turned to see the image of the Zaubelberg hovering over the Summer Residence. It was damaged and scarred all over its surface.  
  
"Like a Pheonix rising from the ashes, so will a new generation rise up from Gartlant's defeat," said a high thin voice over the loudspeakers.  
  
Ruebens and Roland knelt as the image changed to that of a small boy sitting in a black chair that was far too large for him. He had blond hair that peaked dramatically and ice cold blue eyes. He was dressed in a black uniform with white trim at the collar and cuffs.  
  
"So I finally get to meet the Tenth," he said sneering. "I must say I'm not impressed."  
  
"You made another clone of me?" said Faust angrily to Ruebens and Roland.  
  
The doors opened and a squad of Sabers marched into the room. All of them had long red hair and eyes hidden behind gray helmets with black visors. They wore skintight outfits with combat boots and shoulder mounted machine guns. They formed a single file line in front of Faust and their safeties went of with a harsh click.  
  
"Just relax and leave Gartlant to me Tenth," said the boy, "Record my speech now Ruebens!"  
  
"Yes my Lord," said Ruebens, pressing a console.  
  
"Attention citizens of Gartlant! I am Gelhardt von Faust the Eleventh. I claim the title of Fuhrer by right of ascension. As the leader of Gartlant and future leader of Terra II I demand total obedience! Terra II will bow to the glory of Gartlant!"  
  
Roland and Ruebens applauded.  
  
"Wonderful speech my Lord," said Ruebens, "We will transmit it all over the world."  
  
"Colonel!" said a soldier bursting in. "The Saber Dolls!"  
  
"What?" said Roland, "Did they escape?"  
  
"Parts of them," replied the soldier.  
  
Roland grabbed his collar. "Stop speaking in riddles!"  
  
"Their maiden circuits are gone!" he managed to stammer out.  
  
"Damn it!" roared Roland, "Kill Faust!"  
  
The firing squad took aim. Faust regarded them evenly. At the last second a Saber at the end of the firing line turned and faced the others and pumped them full of bullets. They sprawled all over the place and exploded. The Saber jumped onto the dais.  
  
Faust slowly lowered his arms.  
  
"Lord Faust?" it asked slowly.  
  
He stared and smiled. "Panther. I knew you'd come."  
  
The Saber hugged him.  
  
"Wait, Roland and Ruebens!" he said.  
  
They turned to see them already gone.  
  
"The Zaubelberg!" said Faust.  
  
Tiger winced as the door to her cell was blasted open. She stared at a Saber with green hair carrying a scythe and wearing a white military cap.  
  
"Tiger, here." It said, tossing her blade whip to her.  
  
"Luchs?" asked Tiger in wonderment.  
  
"Mikey installed our maiden circuits in some Sabers undergoing maintenance," said the Saber, "but this body feels like molasses compared to my real body."  
  
"Let's go rescue Lord Faust!" said Tiger running down the hallway.  
  
They almost ran over Ruebens and Roland running the other way.  
  
"You're always in my way!" growled Roland, drawing out his pistol and leveling it at Tiger's head. He froze and gasped, blood suddenly coming out of his mouth. He looked down at the tip of a katana protruding from his chest. Ruebens gave a twist on the blade's handle and pulled it out.  
  
"I can never forgive you for trying to execute Lord Faust," said Ruebens coldly, " Farewell Colonel."  
  
Roland fell limp onto the floor. Ruebens stared levelly at Tiger and the Saber. He wiped the blood from his sword.  
  
"So are you friend or foe?" asked Tiger.  
  
"I'm a friend to Lord Faust," he replied, "Both of them."  
  
"We have to stop the Eleventh!" said Tiger.  
  
Ruebens lowered his blade at her. "I cannot allow you to harm him."  
  
"Luchs, go stop the Eleventh!" yelled Tiger, "I'll hold off Ruebens!"  
  
"No!" called out Ruebens as Tiger's blade whip wrapped around his katana. He broke free as the Saber ran past down the corridor.  
  
Tiger retracted the blade most of the way and it formed a rigid blade. She lunged forward and Ruebens expertly blocked with his katana.  
  
Faust stood on the roof with the Saber staring up at the Zaubelberg.  
  
"Panther, we have to get up there," he said.  
  
"I'll help!" said a Saber with the scythe joining them.  
  
"Luchs?" asked Faust.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Toss me up there," he said removing his cape and letting it blow away in the wind.  
  
The two Sabers joined hands and he stood on them. They hurled him with tremendous force at the pitted and scarred surface of the Zaubelberg. He managed to grip a broken and bent panel. He tied a cable to a bolt and let it drop to the ground. He carefully clambered up to an access hatch. He put his hand into a recessed panel that scanned his hand.  
  
"I.D. confirmed," said a tinny voice, "Welcome back."  
  
The hatch smoothly opened and Faust climbed inside. He made his way down a narrow triangular corridor to a staircase. He went down two flights and reached a door. It opened automatically, revealing the main control center. He walked over to the central chair. It was empty. He looked around to see all the controls were automated and unoccupied.  
  
"You're harder to kill than I thought," said a voice behind him.  
  
Faust turned to see the Eleventh now holding a pistol.  
  
"You're really a clone of me?" asked Faust.  
  
The boy sneered in a familiar manner. "You think I'm a fake?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"I'll be glad when you're gone!" said the Eleventh taking aim.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
The boy looked annoyed. "Because I hate you!"  
  
Faust stared evenly at him. "Is that how you really feel or were you programmed to hate me?"  
  
"Programmed?" asked the boy.  
  
"Yes," he replied, "I was one an innocent boy not that different from you. But I was forced to absorb memories of nine lifetimes. It nearly destroyed me."  
  
He looked grim. "But I had no say in my fate. If you really want to kill me, that's fine. But if you were told to kill me, then you are not the master you are the slave!"  
  
The boy fired a bullet that shattered the screen directly behind Faust. He didn't flinch.  
  
"Shut up!" the boy yelled, "I'm the ruler of all Gartlant!"  
  
"Try to remember," said Faust, "Of a time you were happy, when you didn't have any hate."  
  
The boy covered the sides of his head. "Argh! Stop confusing me!"  
  
He raised the gun again, but it was knocked away by a scythe blade.  
  
"Luchs!" said Faust.  
  
"I'm glad your safe my Lord," said the Saber.  
  
The boy slumped onto the floor.  
  
Ruebens locked his blade against Tiger's.  
  
"Try to understand!" he yelled.  
  
"I don't care what your twisted motives are!" she snapped back.  
  
"Enough!" said Faust appearing in the corridor carrying a boy in his arms.  
  
Ruebens dropped his katana and ran over to Faust. "My Lord, is the boy.?"  
  
"He'll live," said one of the Sabers walking past Ruebens into one of the cells. After a few moments Panther walked out in her own body. She adjusted her eyepatch.  
  
"You helped to create this clone of me?" asked Faust.  
  
Ruebens nodded. "Roland wanted to replace you with a clone. Since I knew you wouldn't agree to rule over Gartlant I agreed to help. I didn't want the line of Faust to end with you."  
  
"Why not an adult clone?" asked Tiger.  
  
"We didn't have time," said Ruebens, "Plus it was easier to brainwash him."  
  
"Can it be undone?" asked Luchs, appearing in her body again.  
  
"Yes," he replied.  
  
Faust nodded and tenderly passed the boy to Luchs. "I will ask the Provisional Council for clemency for you then,"  
  
Ruebens hung his head. "I deserve what I get my Lord."  
  
"I cannot decide your fate," said Faust.  
  
After freeing the Provisional Council the Saber Dolls and Faust reached his bedroom. Luchs laid the boy on the bed and tucked him in. Panther embraced Faust.  
  
"My Lord, I feared the worst!" she said.  
  
"Calm down Panther," he said, "We all made it."  
  
Tiger watched them and sighed. When she walked outside, Mikey was waiting for her with his hands behind his back.  
  
"Tiger, are you okay?" he asked looking up.  
  
She smiled and knelt in front of him. "I'm fine Mikey."  
  
He hugged her. "Thanks for saving Grandpa and everyone!"  
  
"I couldn't have done it without your help," she said.  
  
He nodded. "Is that boy okay?"  
  
"I think so," she said, "Would you like to meet him later?"  
  
"Sure!" he said brightly.  
  
"Good," said Tiger, "I think Lord Faust the Eleventh will need friends."  
  
Preview  
  
Lord Faust wants to save his clone, but what will the Provisional Council decide? Tiger and Panther and I have to care for the boy, but are we up to it? What are these strange feelings in my heart? Can a Marionette have two Masters? Next time on Saber Dolls G: 'Eleventh'. Lord Faust, I love you! 


	6. Eleventh

Saber Dolls G  
  
A Saber Marionette Fanfiction  
  
By BG-57  
  
Program 06: Eleventh  
  
A young boy lay stretched out on an operating table. His blond hair was brushed back making the electrodes glued to his temples more noticeable. He was dressed in a simple white smock. A voice called out, faint and distant.  
  
"Are you awake, Eleventh?"  
  
The boy's eyes opened and regarded the florescent lighting in the ceiling blankly. He suddenly sat up.  
  
"Where am I?" he asked.  
  
"You're in the medical procedure room," said the voice.  
  
The boy looked to his left and saw a tall man standing a few feet away with blond hair in a ponytail and a stern expression. He was dressed in a casual shirt and jeans with a leather jacket draped over the back of a chair nearby.  
  
"I am Gelhardt von Faust the Tenth," said the man.  
  
"Who am I?" asked the boy, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"You're Gelhardt von Faust the Eleventh," said Faust quietly.  
  
"I'm named after you?" asked the boy.  
  
Faust nodded. "You can pick a different name if you want."  
  
"Are you my father then?" asked the boy, looking confused.  
  
Faust smiled faintly. "In a manner of speaking."  
  
The boy turned so his legs were dangling over the side.  
  
"Have we met before?" asked the boy, frowning, "You look familiar."  
  
Faust rubbed his chin. "Do you remember me?"  
  
The boy shook his head.  
  
"It's not important then," said Faust, "All you need to know is that you may be chosen to rule Gartlant."  
  
"Me?" asked the boy incredulously.  
  
Faust nodded. "Let me introduce you to the Saber Dolls. They will make sure that you come to no harm."  
  
The boy looked to his right and saw a trio of Marionettes standing at the foot of the table.  
  
"I'm Luchs," said the one with long blue hair and violet eyes, "I'm pleased to meet you Lord Faust."  
  
"Call me Tiger," said the one with short red hair under a black cap. She smiled kindly at the boy.  
  
"Panther," said the one with blond hair and a red eyepatch, jerking a thumb towards her face, "Nice to meetcha."  
  
Ruebens walked down a dark corridor escorted by a pair of guards dressed in gray tunics and black helmets. They stopped in front of one of the doors. He looked at the door mournfully.  
  
"Wait," said Faust, coming from the other direction.  
  
"My Lord," said Ruebens, "Why are you here?"  
  
"You are sure the brainwashing was reversed on the Eleventh?" asked Faust.  
  
"As sure as I am of anything," replied Ruebens.  
  
"I will keep my promise then," he said.  
  
Ruebens shook his head. "Forget about me. Just look after Koyuki."  
  
"Your fate is not certain Ruebens," said Faust, "I'll leave her in your care for a while longer."  
  
One of the guards opened the door to the cell by punching on a keypad. The door opened with a hiss, revealing a brown haired Marionette sitting on the bed dressed in a kimono.  
  
"Koyuki!" said Ruebens, his eyes open wide.  
  
"Get in there!" barked a guard.  
  
"Thank you," said Ruebens to Faust as he walked in. He turned around and smiled at Faust, as the door slammed shut.  
  
Faust walked down the corridor until he reached a side room. It was mostly empty except for some boxes. He went through another door onto a balcony that overlooked the valley around the Summer Residence. Odd, he thought, he hadn't appreciated how beautiful the valley looked in autumn, and how much this edifice his predecessor had built marred it. He could make out Young Faust and the Saber Dolls walking along a green lawn.  
  
"How is the boy doing?" asked an old man standing next to him.  
  
Faust glanced at the old man that Mikey called Grandpa. Although frail and stooped with a long white beard, he was one of the interim rulers of Gartlant.  
  
"Too soon to tell," stated Faust, "But I appreciate you allowing the Saber Dolls to look after him,"  
  
"It's clear they have reformed," said Grandpa, "What's less clear is you."  
  
Faust closed his eyes. "There will always be a darkness in my soul. I can either succumb to it or fight it."  
  
Grandpa stroked his beard. "You are an enigma Faust. Ever since you abdicated, no one can predict you anymore."  
  
Faust regarded Grandpa grimly. "I didn't abdicate, I was exiled."  
  
"But you do want the boy to rule in your place," said Grandpa cannily.  
  
Faust looked thoughtful. "If he wants to. But whatever his fate, I will spare him the anguish of my memories."  
  
"What is it like to remember 300 years of history?" he asked.  
  
Faust started to walk off but half turned when he reached the door.  
  
"Be glad you don't know," said Faust as he left.  
Young Faust kicked a rock along the path in the garden. It had been formal and ornamental once, but it had been neglected for some time. Most of the flowerbeds were filled with weeds.  
  
"You shouldn't do that Young Master," chided Luchs.  
  
Panther grinned and kicked a rock down the path.  
  
"Panther!" said Luchs testily.  
  
"Now Luchs, he's just a boy," said Tiger cheerfully, "Let him be one."  
  
Luchs sighed as Young Faust turned to look at them.  
  
"I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble Luchs," he said.  
  
She smiled and knelt next to him. "You're no trouble at all Young Master. I'm honored to look after you."  
  
"We'd give our lives for you," said Panther, putting a fist to her heart.  
  
"Why would you do that?" asked Young Faust, looking horrified.  
  
"Because you are the most precious thing to Lord Faust," said Tiger serenely.  
  
"Doesn't he like me?" he asked.  
  
"Of course he does," said Luchs, "You will be like a son to him."  
  
"Will be?" said the boy in a confused tone.  
  
"Well, you two have to get to know each other better first, right?" said Luchs with a smile.  
  
Young Faust returned the smile.  
  
"We need to decide how to do this," said Tiger, "Luchs, I think you should teach him history and science. You're the smartest one."  
  
Luchs nodded. "You should teach him about love and compassion Tiger."  
  
"I'll train him to be physically fit," said Panther.  
  
Luchs stood up. "We don't know how long we'll be together Young Master. But rest assured we will take care of you."  
  
"Enough chitchat!" said Panther, "It's time to begin his training!"  
  
"Training?" inquired Young Faust, "Training for what?"  
  
"Come with me and I'll show you," said Panther taking his hand and leading him off.  
  
Tiger looked at Luchs.  
  
"Let's follow them," said Luchs.  
  
A few minutes later Panther and Young Faust were standing in a junkyard on the western side of the Summer Residence. It was full of broken military trucks and tanks in enormous piles. Panther picked up the long barrel of a tank and shouldered it like a cane.  
  
"Now Young Master," began Panther narrowing her eyes, "The first thing you must learn is strength. Strength through discipline!"  
  
Young Faust gaped and pointed. "Isn't that heavy?"  
  
Panther blinked and stared at the barrel. "Huh? Nah! Now you need to concentrate!"  
  
"How much can you lift?" asked Young Faust.  
  
Panther frowned. "I don't know! Don't distract me Young Master!"  
  
Young Faust pointed to a rusting motor resting on cinderblocks. "Can you lift that?"  
  
Panther sighed and ambled over and hefted the motor using her free hand.  
  
"Piece of cake!" she said grinning.  
  
"Wow!" said young Faust, "You're amazing!"  
  
"That's nothing!" said Panther, "Watch this!"  
  
The boy ran backwards as Panther flung the motor into the air. It arced overhead, glinting in the noonday sun and fell back down. As it neared the ground Panther swung with the barrel and sent the motor careening across the junkyard. It knocked over a car chassis and buried itself into the middle of a large junk pile with a tremendous metallic crash. Panther flinched as the pile started to collapse at first gradually, then getting louder and louder until they were sure that all of Gartlant could hear it. It sounded at the end like a mechanical explosion.  
  
"What the hell was Panther thinking?" hissed Luchs to Tiger from their hiding place in a nearby junk pile.  
  
"Panther doesn't think she just does," said Tiger wearily.  
  
Panther shielded her eyes from the sun to inspect the damage. "Wow! I guess that was a bad idea!"  
  
She began to laugh until she realized she couldn't see Young Faust anymore. She began digging through the rubble frantically.  
  
"Young Master!" she called out.  
  
She heard laughter behind her. She turned to see the boy hanging off the muzzle of the gun she was still carrying.  
  
"Can we do that again?" he asked happily.  
  
"Absolutely not!" said Panther angrily.  
  
"Aw, c'mon Panther!" he said.  
  
She pulled him off the cannon by the collar. "Don't scare me like that Young Master!" she admonished.  
  
He smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Do I weigh too much?"  
  
She sighed and put him on her shoulder. "No more than a feather."  
  
He giggled and they began to laugh together. She was startled when he touched her star shaped eyepatch.  
  
"Did you lose an eye?" he asked.  
  
"No, it's polarized to block the eyebeam," she said.  
  
"Neat! Can I see it?" he asked.  
  
She lifted the red glass exposing her yellow right eye, which contrasted sharply with her sky blue left eye.  
  
He leaned in close and inspected it.  
  
She blushed a bit. "Is something wrong Young Master?"  
  
He shook his head. "No, I think you look prettier when I can see both your eyes."  
  
She turned red and let the eyepatch drop back into place.  
  
"Let's go back in," said Panther.  
  
Later that night Panther was sitting on her bed in her room looking down at the eyepatch in her hand. Her room was Spartan to the extreme, devoid of any decoration except a framed painting of Faust on the wall with a slightly dented golden blade on a stand underneath. Next to it was a leather bound book of poetry. The rest of the room only had a chest of drawers and a desk; both made of blue metal that blended with the cold gray walls. The door at the foot of the bed opened and Luchs walked in.  
  
"He's asleep now," she said.  
  
"Good," said Panther absently.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Luchs.  
  
Panther put the eyepatch on the desk. "Nothing. I'm going to crash. Night."  
  
"Goodnight," said Luchs.  
  
She left through the door out into the hallway. She stared at the door across the hall and then went through the door to the left of Panther's. Her room was similar except it had computer equipment on the desk. Instead of a formal portrait she had a framed photograph of Faust dressed casually and looking out a window, with a sad expression. She picked up the picture and hugged it.  
  
"Goodnight Lord Faust," she said quietly.  
  
She changed out of her uniform into a nightgown. She put her uniform jacket and skirt on a coat hanger and hung it on a hook mounted on the back of the door. She removed the purple ribbon from her hair and set it on the desk. She climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her. She looked over at the light on the desk and her eyes glowed softly violet. The night snapped off and the room was plunged into darkness. She closed her eyes.  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
She sat up and sighed. "Who is it?" she asked.  
  
"Luchs, I had a scary dream!" said Young Faust.  
  
She got up and opened the door. The boy embraced her, in tears.  
  
"It was horrible!" he sobbed.  
  
She picked him up. "There, there Young Master. It wasn't real."  
  
"Someone tied me on a table and put something into my head!" he cried, "And there was a big metal dragon!"  
  
She held him close. "Don't worry, I won't let anything hurt you."  
  
He stopped sniffling. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked.  
  
She looked surprised. "What? I mean are you sure Young Master?"  
  
He nodded and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yes."  
  
She nodded and set him down. He climbed into bed. She climbed onto the other side. She put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"You're still shivering," she said.  
  
"I'm sorry I'm so frightened," he said.  
  
"Don't be," she said embracing him from behind.  
  
He sighed and relaxed. Eventually her turned to look back at her.  
  
"I can see your eyes now," he said smiling weakly.  
  
Luchs blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"You're just like Panther," said Young Faust, "You hide your eyes."  
  
She thought it over. "I suppose you're right. I don't like people knowing what I'm thinking."  
  
"Well I trust you whatever you're thinking," he said sleepily.  
  
She lay in the bed holding him close and she felt warmth spreading through her. She could tell that her maiden circuit was activating in some new way. She couldn't quite grasp what it was though. As she puzzled it out she gradually drifted to sleep.  
  
Tiger woke with a start to the sound of pounding on her door.  
  
"What is it?" she asked getting up and going to the door.  
  
Panther burst in. "Young Master's gone!"  
  
Tiger blanched. "What? Where could he have gone?"  
  
"He isn't in his room!" said Panther.  
  
They went out into the corridor.  
  
"Let's try Luchs' room," suggested Tiger.  
  
Panther pounded on the door. After a few minutes Young Faust opened the door.  
  
"Good morning Panther, Tiger," he said sleepily.  
  
Panther's jaw dropped. Tiger stifled a giggle.  
  
"I had a scary dream, so I stayed with Luchs," said the boy cheerfully.  
  
"So I see," said Tiger.  
  
"Thanks Luchs!" he called back into the room then ran off between Tiger and Panther.  
  
Luchs reached the door. "Be careful running Young Master!" she called after him.  
  
Tiger and Panther stared at her and she blushed red.  
  
"What?" she asked, "Young Master was scared."  
  
"I'm so happy for you!" said Tiger, taking Luchs' hand.  
  
"Why?" asked Luchs looking up.  
  
"Your maiden circuit is 'motherhood'," said Tiger, "You've never had the chance to use it before."  
  
"You should have been the one with this maiden circuit," said Luchs, "You're the one who raised Lord Faust."  
  
Tiger's expression became sad. "I cannot raise the Young Master. He reminds me too much of Lord Faust as a boy."  
  
"But you originally served Lord Faust the Ninth," said Panther, "How could you serve two Masters?"  
  
Tiger sighed. "I couldn't. Every day I was torn in two. How can you obey one Master without betraying the other?"  
  
"I see," said Panther in a subdued tone.  
  
Lord Faust appeared, walking down the corridor. He stopped when he saw them.  
  
"How is the boy doing?" he asked.  
  
"Just fine, Lord Faust," said Tiger.  
  
"Leave him to us," said Panther.  
  
"We'll take care of him," said Luchs.  
  
"Thank you," said Faust, "I am indebted to the three of you."  
  
"Not at all," said Tiger.  
  
"Has the Provisional Council decided what to do with him?" asked Luchs fearfully.  
  
Faust shook his head. "They are supposed to give their decision later today."  
  
The Saber Dolls exchanged apprehensive glances.  
  
"Don't worry," he reassured them, "I have faith now in the people of Gartlant and Terra II."  
  
He walked down the hallway until he reached a staircase. He stopped and stared at a half open doorway. It swung open and Young Faust stepped into the corridor. He looked up at Faust fearfully.  
  
"Come with me Eleventh," said Faust.  
  
Faust unlocked a set of double doors and led Young Faust into a large ornate room with chandeliers and golden candelabras on the walls. The walls had five enormous paintings each on the two longest walls, with busts in front of each. There was also a scale model of an intricate spaceship. A painting of a lovely woman with long orange-brown hair hung on the far wall. Young Faust gaped.  
  
"What is this?" he asked.  
  
"A monument to myself," said Faust.  
  
The boy stared at one of the pictures labeled simply 'VII'. "Hey this one looks like you!" he said.  
  
He ran over to next one labeled 'VIII'. "So does this one!" he said.  
  
"They all do," said Faust, "We both are clones of them."  
  
Young Faust's eyes grew wide. "We are?"  
  
"Well, of him," said Faust pointing to a picture of the one marked 'I'. The man had shorter hair and was dressed in a white pressure suit.  
  
"That was Gelhardt von Faust the First," said Faust, "A brilliant scientist from Terra I."  
  
"Terra I?" asked Young Faust.  
  
Faust nodded and indicated the ship model and the picture above it. "He was aboard the colony ship Mesopotamia when the computer went amok. Only six men made it to the surface of Terra II. The First was one of them. One woman was still trapped on the ship; that was Lorelei. She was held prisoner for 300 years by the computer."  
  
The boy tried to take it all in. "Then what?"  
  
"The six men created clones of themselves in order to survive. But they couldn't clone women, so they created Marionettes to replace them."  
  
"Like Luchs, Tiger, and Panther right?" asked Young Faust.  
  
Faust nodded. "Yes, but they're different from most Marionettes. They have maiden circuits that give them feelings and emotions like any human. Only seven Marionettes have these circuits: the Saber Dolls, three in Japoness, and one in New Texas. They were created to rescue Lorelei."  
  
Young Faust grinned. "So the Saber Dolls rescued Lorelei?"  
  
Faust looked thoughtful. "Well Luchs helped the Japoness Marionettes. Tiger was damaged at the time and I was injured so Panther stayed with me."  
  
The boy beamed. "They're all so cool!"  
  
Faust smiled. "Yes they are."  
  
Young Faust examined the picture marked 'X'. "Is this you?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," said Faust quietly.  
  
"Is there one of me?" asked Young Faust eagerly.  
  
"That depends," replied Faust, "On your wishes."  
  
The boy looked confused. "My wishes?"  
  
"Yes," said Faust, "My rule of Gartlant brought nothing but misery to my people. Knowing what a burden it will be, would you still want to rule Gartlant?"  
  
Young Faust looked thoughtful. "Are you going to give it to me?"  
  
Faust shook his head. "It is not within my power to give you."  
  
"Then why are you asking me?" asked the Young Faust.  
  
Faust put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Because no one ever asked me."  
  
Young Faust nodded. "Well maybe one day. I want to make you proud of me first."  
  
"I already am," said Faust.  
  
Faust went back to looking at the paintings with his hands behind his back. Young Faust stood next to him, glanced up at Faust and put his hands behind his back too.  
  
Young Faust found Tiger at one of the flowerbeds. She was busy removing the weeds and putting them into a wheelbarrow. A young boy sat next to Tiger and helped to pull the weeds.  
  
"Hi Tiger," said Young Faust.  
  
She looked up and smiled. "Hello Young Master. Have you met Mikey?"  
  
The boy next to Tiger stood up and dusted his hands off on his pants. "I'm Mikey," he said, extending his hand.  
  
Young Faust took it. "I'm Gelhardt von Faust the Eleventh," he said.  
  
Mikey blinked. "That's a lot to remember."  
  
Young Faust grinned. "Well, you call me Gelhardt."  
  
Mikey nodded. "I'm helping Tiger plant flowers. Want to help?"  
  
"Why don't you two run off and play for a bit?" said Tiger standing up.  
  
They nodded and ran off toward the dilapidated gazebo. She sadly watched them chase each other. Faust joined her.  
  
"What's wrong Tiger?" he asked.  
  
She looked up at him. "I'm scared. Scared that I'm going to lose him the way I lost you Master."  
  
Faust looked grim. "I took him from you."  
  
Tiger raised the brim of her cap. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I have the Ninth's memories along with all the others," said Faust angrily, "I carry the memory of the monster he forced the Tenth to become."  
  
Tiger clasped her hands around his. "No Master! You carry the memories of the Ninth, but you are not the Ninth! You are the Tenth!"  
  
"I will not let anything happen to the boy," said Faust, "I swear."  
  
Tiger's eyes grew moist. "Oh Lord Faust."  
  
He kissed her hands. "I am nothing without you."  
  
Tiger felt someone tugging at her sleeve.  
  
"Hey Tiger," said Young Faust, "Would you like to play with us?"  
  
Tiger smiled down at him. "Sure."  
  
Young Faust took her hand and led her towards the field. Faust stood and watched them, his hands in his jacket pockets.  
  
Ruebens lay on the bed with his head across Koyuki's lap. His blond wig and Gartlant uniform was in a pile in the corner. His long black hair was exposed. He was dressed now in a simple gray tunic.  
  
"I know you'll forgive me Koyuki," he said, "But I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself."  
  
The door suddenly opened with a hiss. Two guards stood there.  
  
"Herr Ruebens?" asked one.  
  
"I'm just Soemon now," he said. "Ruebens is dead."  
  
"Come with us whoever you are," said the other guard.  
  
He stood up. "What about Koyuki?" he asked.  
  
"Bring her too," said the first guard.  
  
He led Koyuki down the corridor until they reached the main conference room. He paused.  
  
"Have they decided when my execution is?" he asked.  
  
"Just go in!" said the second guard.  
  
He walked inside followed by Koyuki. He saw the Provisional Council, with two vacant seats: one was his, the other belonged to the late lamented Colonel Roland. Faust and the Saber Dolls stood on one side of Grandpa, Young Faust on the other.  
  
"You might be curious about our decision regarding Faust the Eleventh," said Grandpa.  
  
Soemon nodded.  
  
"We have decided to make Gelhardt von Faust the Eleventh the next Fuhrer of Gartlant," said Grandpa.  
  
Soemon smiled brightly. "Excellent choice."  
  
"Provided," continued Grandpa, "That his position is mandated by the will of the people of Gartlant."  
  
Soemon nodded. "Very wise."  
  
"However, he is not of age, so we need someone to manage the day to day affairs until he is ready to ascend," said Grandpa, "We need a viceroy."  
  
"I recommend Lord Faust," said Soemon stiffly.  
  
"Impossible," said Grandpa, "Even if he wanted the job, he's too divisive."  
  
"I want you to be my viceroy," said Young Faust.  
  
"Me?" said Soemon, "Why?"  
  
"You have shown constant loyalty to Lord Faust," said Grandpa, "And while your reasons were not always admirable, you brought the Eleventh into being."  
  
"He can usher in a new golden age for Gartlant," said Faust.  
  
"Plus the hero of Terra II vouches for your character," said Grandpa.  
  
"Otaru Mamiya?" said Soemon, surprised, "I can't believe he would say that after what I did to him."  
  
Grandpa chuckled. "Events have conspired in your favor Soemon. I suggest you go along."  
  
Young Faust ran over to Luchs and took her hand. "Hey Luchs," he said.  
  
"Yes my Fuhrer?" she asked.  
  
"Aw, don't call me that Luchs," he said, "But you'll stay with me right?"  
  
"As long as Master Faust wishes me to," she replied.  
  
He looked at Faust. "You want to stay, right?"  
  
Faust looked down at the boy. "As long as I'm useful."  
  
"I'll give you any position you want!" said Young Faust.  
  
Faust shook his head. "People like me should not have power. I want no office."  
  
The boy held out his hand cautiously. "Will you be my father then?"  
  
Faust looked down at the boy, the embodiments of so many of his lost dreams and hopes.  
  
"Of course," he said.  
  
He took the boy's hand.  
  
Preview  
  
Young Master is going to become the new Fuhrer of Gartlant and everyone's been invited. But Lord Faust may decide to leave. Should we stay with Lord Faust or the Young Master? What will Tiger and Luchs do? Argh, my head! Next time on Saber Dolls G: 'Ascension'. Lord Faust, I love you! 


	7. Ascension

Saber Dolls G  
  
A Saber Marionette Fanfiction  
  
By BG-57  
  
Program 07: Ascension  
  
Lorelei sat at a computer terminal dressed in a starched lab coat over a green smock, her hair braided behind her back. She sighed and took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to look. A silver haired Marionette loomed eerily over her.  
  
"My Lady I apologize for disturbing you at such a late hour," said Tamasaburo.  
  
Lorelei's smile looked strained. "Not at all Tamasaburo. Is there a problem?"  
  
She shook her head. "No. There is an incoming message for you from Gartlant."  
  
Lorelei nodded. "Can you put it through?"  
  
Tamasaburo pushed a button the wall. A wooden framework with paper panes retracted exposing a large trapezoidal screen. A blue haired Marionette's face appeared on the screen.  
  
"Luchs!" said Lorelei cheerfully.  
  
Luchs smiled shyly. "I'm sorry to disturb you so late Lady Lorelei, but Young Master couldn't wait."  
  
Lorelei frowned. "Young Master?"  
  
She saw a young boy step in front of Luchs but all she could see of him was his eyes and the top of his head.  
  
"Hi there, Auntie Lorelei!" said the boy.  
  
Lorelei blinked. "What?"  
  
Luchs discreetly lifted the boy so Lorelei could see the rest of his face. Lorelei gasped.  
  
"Lord.Faust?" she asked.  
  
He laughed. "Sorta. I'm his clone. Pleased to meet you."  
  
"He actually made a clone of himself?" she asked.  
  
Luchs shook her head and held the boy close. "He was created as a part of a plot to take over Gartlant."  
  
"But Grandpa wants me to be the next ruler of Gartlant," said Young Faust, "Would you be able to come to Gartlant to attend the ceremony of ascension?"  
  
Lorelei smiled and bowed. "I would be honored Lord Faust. On one condition."  
  
He brightened. "Really? What?"  
  
"Can you please not call me 'Auntie'?" she asked, her smile straining again.  
  
He rubbed his head nervously. "Sorry Miss Lorelei."  
  
"Not at all." she replied.  
  
"Thanks again Auntie!" he said, "Goodnight!"  
  
The screen went dark. Lorelei slumped into her chair.  
  
"Do I look like some old maid?" she asked sighing.  
  
"My Lady?" asked Tamasaburo.  
  
She waved a hand in the air. "Forget it."  
  
Tamasaburo bowed and left.  
  
Lorelei leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling.  
  
"Still, the Young Faust is so cute!"  
  
A young man lay sprawled out diagonally across a futon on a tatami floor. He was snoring loudly until he was poked in the arm.  
  
"Hey Otaru!"  
  
Otaru grumbled and turned over. He got poked again.  
  
"Otaru, wake up!"  
  
Otaru groggily opened his eyes to see a cheerful blue haired Marionette with big green eyes staring down at him. From his point of view she was upside down and almost nose to nose with him.  
  
"Yaaaah!" he yelped, jumping up and backing away from her.  
  
"Lime I told you not to do that!" he admonished.  
  
She flinched and closed both her eyes. She then cautiously peeked out of one eye again.  
  
"But Otaru, I wanted to show you something!" Lime said brightly, brandishing a piece of paper.  
  
"What is it?" he asked sighing.  
  
Her mouth opened but no words came out. She began laughing nervously.  
  
"I dunno! But I got it in the mail, and I wanted you to see it first!" she said holding it out to him.  
  
Otaru took it and inspected it. It was a plain white envelope embossed with a red and gold wax seal. Imbedded in the middle was "GFXI".  
  
"Faust!" said Otaru sharply.  
  
"Really?" asked Lime taking it back and opening it. She read through the letter quickly.  
  
"What does it say?" asked Otaru.  
  
"'You are cordially invited to attend the ascension of Lord Gelhardt von Faust the Eleventh. It will be held in Gartlant on May the 17th,'" said Lime, looking lost.  
  
"The Eleventh?" repeated Otaru, his hands on his hips.  
  
Lime nodded. "Maybe the Bad Faust that tried to take the Japonesguar sent this."  
  
Otaru shook his head. "I don't think he could have survived. But why did he invite just you?"  
  
"Master Otaru, you have mail!" called out a slim purple haired Marionette.  
  
She handed him a letter identical to Lime's.  
  
"Thanks Cherry," said Otaru glancing over the seal, "Did you happen to get one too?"  
  
Cherry blushed and leaned up against him. "Yes Master! Isn't it romantic, getting an invitation together to a social event? Just the two of us!"  
  
Otaru turned red.  
  
"I got one too!" said Lime, holding up her invitation to Cherry's face.  
  
Cherry blinked at it. "You did?"  
  
"Hey Otaru, you seen this?" asked a tall buxom red-haired Marionette holding a letter as she walked in through a sliding door.  
  
"Not you too Bloodberry?" said Cherry wearily.  
  
"I got one too!" said a small boy with wavy golden locks following Bloodberry. He looked very dapper in shorts and a silk shirt with a ruffle at the collar.  
  
"I got one too Yumeji!" said Lime happily.  
  
Cherry slumped onto her knees.  
  
"It's not fair!" she said, on the verge of tears.  
  
"Guess what I have!" asked a young man who looked like an older version of Yumeji. He was dressed in baggy pants a loud lavender shirt and a large bow tie. He brandished a letter and smirked.  
  
Otaru sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "Bloodberry, could you get Hanagata out of here? It's too early in the day for him."  
  
"Sure thing Otaru!" said Bloodberry as she hefted Hanagata over her shoulder.  
  
"Hey! Put me down!" demanded Hanagata petulantly.  
  
"Any time of day is too early for you Little Hana," she said carrying him out.  
  
"Don't call me that!" was the last thing they heard him say.  
  
Panther ran with intense concentration through the woods. When she reached top of a hill she could see the Summer Residence in the valley below. She was wearing a black jogging suit with white trim and a red eyepatch over her right eye. She took a towel from the red duffel bag slung over her shoulder and wiped the sweat from her brow. She looked at the trail behind her and sighed. A minute later Young Faust came into view. He stopped next to her and dropped to his knees, panting from exhaustion.  
  
"You're still too slow Young Master!" admonished Panther.  
  
He looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry Panther.you're too.fast for me."  
  
She reached into her duffel bag and handed him a bottle of water. "Here."  
  
He greedily took a swig. He then looked at her again in wonderment at the towel now draped around her shoulders.  
  
She looked uneasy. "What is it?"  
  
He smiled and shook his head. "I'm just amazed you can sweat."  
  
She blinked in surprise. "Why?"  
  
"Well, you're a Marionette," he said standing up, "But you can eat and sleep and everything!"  
  
"We're supposed to be replace human females," said Panther looking off to one side sadly, "Well, we were."  
  
"Yeah but it must be so cool to be a Marionette!" he said spreading out his arms, "You're so strong and tough!"  
  
She looked back to him her visible blue eye wavering. "It's not as great as you think Young Master."  
  
He frowned a bit. "I don't understand."  
  
She took the water bottle from him and patted his head. "Never mind, let's get going!"  
  
They ran down the hill together toward the valley. As they reached the end of the meandering path they reached the outer perimeter of the Summer Residence. They passed by the junkyard and reached the back exit. Far above them Faust stared down at them as they entered the building.  
  
"Have you told them yet Lord Faust?"  
  
Faust turned from the window to regard Soemon sitting at a long table surrounded on three sides by long windows.  
  
"No," he said reflectively, "The time isn't right."  
  
Soemon made a tent of his fingers. "There isn't much time left."  
  
Faust began to pace restlessly. Finally he stopped and put his hands on the back of the chair across the table from Soemon.  
  
"I have to leave Gartlant," he said intensely, "Hess is still on the loose and there's no telling what he's up to."  
  
"Agreed," said Soemon leaning on a hand.  
  
"Besides, there only needs to be one Faust in Gartlant," he said sadly.  
  
Someon sighed quietly. "And what of the Saber Dolls?"  
  
"They can do whatever they want to," said Faust.  
  
"But your predecessor created them with a need to serve you," retorted Soemon, "So do they really have any choice?"  
  
"Perhaps not," said Faust with a grim smile, "But at least they can choose to accompany me or to remain in Gartlant with the Eleventh."  
  
"We are slaves to fate," said Soemon philosophically, "But they don't have to be."  
  
Faust shook his head. "I can't reprogram them now that they've made so much progress."  
  
"What if they all choose the Eleventh?" asked Soemon.  
  
"I doubt Tiger will," said Faust, "But if it happens it will be for the best."  
  
"I'll look after them and the Eleventh for you," said Soemon.  
  
Faust nodded. "Thank you."  
  
Soemon watched him leave the room with an expression of concern.  
  
"But who will look after you my Lord?" he asked himself.  
  
"Otaru, can you explain something to me?" asked Hanagata.  
  
Otaru looked at him from the opposite bench in the back of Hanagata's limousine.  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" he asked idly watching the buildings sweep past.  
  
"Why is it that I have generously donated the use of my vehicle for this outing and yet I am denied the pleasure of sitting next to you?" demanded Hanagata dramatically.  
  
"Cause you lost at rock-paper-scissors," said Bloodberry cheerfully from Otaru's right.  
  
"Lime lost as well," added Cherry from Otaru's left.  
  
Hanagata looked at Lime who was sitting next to him. She had her back to him, her face pressed against the window.  
  
"Wow, Gartlant is a lot cleaner this time!" she said in amazement.  
  
"I'll sit next you brother!" said Yumeji happily from Hanagata's other side.  
  
Hanagata folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. "What a consolation."  
  
"No funny billboards of Faust though!" said Lime.  
  
"Yeah too bad we can't decorate them anymore!" said Bloodberry grinning impishly.  
  
"Otaru, don't they like Faust anymore?" asked Lime, looking sad.  
  
Otaru shrugged. "Some of them do, some don't."  
  
They drove on in silence for a while. The car came to a stop in front of a huge black building in the center of Gartlant: the Kanzlei.  
  
"Oh goody, we're here!" said Hanagata jumping out.  
  
They all clambered out and stared up at the gargantuan structure, designed to not so much dominate the skyline but crush it.  
  
"It doesn't look any different," said Otaru shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun with his hand.  
  
Hanagata turned to see a young boy with blond hair inspecting his car.  
  
"Hey kid, get away from there!" he yelled.  
  
The boy jumped, startled. "Oh, I'm sorry Sir!"  
  
Hanagata put a finger to his lips. "Shh! We're about to meet Lord Faust!"  
  
The boy blinked a bit then nodded. He stood politely off to one side and watched the main entrance along with the others.  
  
"How rude to keep us waiting!" griped Hanagata.  
  
The main doors opened and they saw the Saber Dolls standing there. They were dressed in the black military uniforms: Tiger in a jacket and baggy pants, Luchs in a short skirt and long coat, and Panther in a white blouse and pantaloons. They walked down the stairs and stopped before Otaru.  
  
"Otaru Mamiya," said Luchs.  
  
He grinned and held up a hand. "Yo Luchs."  
  
"Thank you for accepting Young Master's invitation," said Tiger warmly.  
  
"Welcome to Gartlant," said Panther with a smirk.  
  
"Tiger!" yelled Lime, nearly tackling her with a hug.  
  
Tiger managed to regain her balance. "Hello Lime," she said with a smile.  
  
"I missed you!" said Lime, starting to bawl.  
  
"Now, don't cause a scene," said Otaru.  
  
"I missed you too," said Tiger holding Lime close.  
  
"So where's this Lord Faust the Eleventh?" demanded Hanagata impatiently.  
  
Panther looked down next to him. Everyone followed her gaze to the boy with blond hair.  
  
"Hi there!" he said sheepishly.  
  
"Honestly, what are you doing Young Master?" asked Luchs with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Waiting for Lord Faust," he replied cheerfully.  
  
Hanagata's jaw dropped. "You're Lord Faust!"  
  
The boy nodded. "Pleased to meet you."  
  
Hanagata put his arm across his forehead and fainted. No one caught him.  
  
Young Faust and the Saber Dolls led them down a long corridor into a massive room. At one end of the room Soemon stood with Koyuki. On the other side stood Lord Faust and Lorelei flanked by Baiko and Tamasaburo. In the middle stood Grandpa and Mikey.  
  
"Everyone's here!" said Young Faust.  
  
"Goodness what a handsome young man you are!" said Lorelei.  
  
"Thanks Auntie!" he said too quickly, "I mean Miss Lorelei!"  
  
Lorelei laughed politely. "He really is too darling!"  
  
"Isn't he though?" asked Luchs, scooping Young Faust into an embrace, "You just want to squeeze the stuffing out of him!"  
  
She gradually became aware of the presence of everyone's stares. She blushed furiously and set him back down.  
  
"Well that was scary," said Hanagata.  
  
"Knock it Little Hana!" snapped Bloodberry.  
  
"Don't call me little!" he retorted.  
  
"I'm sorry Master," said Luchs to Faust.  
  
He shook his head. "It's fine Luchs."  
  
"It's another part of being human," said Lorelei, "I think it's great."  
  
"They're all great!" said Young Faust, taking Tiger and Panther's hands in his own.  
  
Tiger smiled down at him. "You're too kind Young Master."  
  
Panther seemed to choked up to speak.  
  
Grandpa nodded. "Otaru, good to see you again."  
  
Otaru waved. "Same here. Hi Mikey."  
  
"Hi big brother," said Mikey shyly, "Thanks for the cookies Cherry."  
  
"Anytime!" replied Cherry happily.  
  
Grandpa coughed. "Well, we can begin now."  
  
They took seats in a row across the middle of the room. Young Faust glanced to Lord Faust who nodded to him. He walked up to a large podium on a dais with red carpeting. Soemon brought over a chair for him to stand on behind the podium. As Young Faust climbed up onto it Grandpa and Soemon stood behind him on either side. Ceiling mounted cameras focused on him.  
  
"We'll be live in two minutes," said Mikey.  
  
Young Faust looked to the Saber Dolls.  
  
"You can do it," said Luchs.  
  
"We're all proud of you," said Tiger.  
  
"Give 'em hell!" said Panther.  
  
The red lights on the cameras lit up and Young Faust unfurled a piece of paper and began to carefully read from it.  
  
"Citizens of Gartlant, you know that we have had a glorious 300 years of history. And for all those years the clones of Faust have been looking after you. While they have made Gartlant what it is today, something has been lost. We have lost free will. That is why I, Gelhardt von Faust the Eleventh, promise to respect your individual dreams and desires. If it pleases you, you may elect me as the next Fuhrer of Gartlant. Until then the Provisional council and Regent Soemon will oversee our great nation. Thank you."  
  
Everyone in the room applauded as the cameras snapped off.  
  
"That will be broadcast all over Gartlant an hour from now, right before your presentation," said Soemon.  
  
"There's already quite a crowd waiting outside the Kanzlei," said Grandpa.  
  
"They all want to see you!" said Mikey.  
  
Young Faust nodded, still looking a little nervous. "I don't like making speeches."  
  
Luchs put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "You did fine Young Master!"  
  
He smiled up at her.  
  
Lord Faust stood to one side, looking troubled.  
  
"Hey Faust," said Otaru.  
  
"Otaru Mamiya," he replied, "You should be on your guard."  
  
Otaru frowned. "What's up?"  
  
"I'm trying to locate Hess," said Faust, "I fear he may have some plan that may involve you and your Marionettes."  
  
Otaru nodded gravely. "Thanks for the heads up."  
  
"Never take your Marionettes for granted," he said as he watched the Saber Dolls sadly.  
  
The crowd waiting outside the Kanzlei was immense and it was growing by the minutes. Thousands thronged the streets on every side, trying to catch a glimpse of their new ruler. Thirty stories up Grandpa and Soemon walked onto a balcony overlooking the main square. In the room behind them stood the others.  
  
Young Faust looked pale and nervous.  
  
"Don't worry Eleventh," said Faust, "Just say what is in your heart."  
  
He looked up at Faust. "Thank you."  
  
Faust looked puzzled. "For what?"  
  
"For being here," said Young Faust, "I owe you my life."  
  
Faust knelt in front of him. "Fuhrer, no matter what I will always protect you."  
  
The Saber dolls knelt behind him.  
  
"We will do anything for you Master," said Tiger.  
  
"Thanks," said Young Faust, starting to cry.  
  
Luchs stood up and dried his eyes with a hankerchief. "Now there, you want to look nice when the people of Garlant see you."  
  
"Show them what you're made of Young Master!" said Panther ruffling his hair.  
  
"Cut that out Panther!" he said.  
  
"Make us proud," said Faust.  
  
Young Faust nodded and walked out onto the balcony. The Saber Dolls followed him. Faust turned to Lorelei and Otaru.  
  
"I realize now that Gartlant is no longer mine to control," he said quietly, "I will entrust the city's care to the Eleventh."  
  
"What will you do?" asked Lorelei with concern.  
  
"There are many things I need to take care of," he replied, "I must go now."  
  
"I understand Faust." Said Otaru, "If you need my help, just ask."  
  
"I will," he said as he left.  
  
Faust walked through a pair of double doors then down a hallway. He opened a small door and started walking down a staircase. When he was down two flights he heard the door above him open with a bang.  
  
"Lord Faust!" called out Panther.  
  
He looked up. "Panther?" he asked.  
  
She jumped down two stories to the landing he was on. She looked like she was going to cry.  
  
"Master how could you leave us?" she demanded.  
  
He shook his head. "You do not have to follow me anymore."  
  
They heard the sound of footsteps above them. Luchs and Tiger joined them.  
  
"You're leaving?" asked Tiger, grasping his coat.  
  
He took her hand. "Yes, I have to deal with Hess. I am responsible for whatever destruction he causes."  
  
She nodded. "Wherever you go, my Lord, I will always be at your side!"  
  
Luchs sighed. "Master I cannot go. Young Master need me and I need him."  
  
Faust nodded and put his hand on her shoulder. "Of course. I'm counting on you to look after him."  
  
"My Lord!" she said, embracing him.  
  
Panther hugged Faust as well.  
  
He placed his hand across the back of her head. "Panther I'm sorry to do this to you. I really am.."  
  
"I don't know who to follow!" she said sobbing, "Please tell me!"  
  
"I can't," he said, "You have to let your heart decide."  
  
She looked up and met his gaze. "My Lord.I.."  
  
"There is no wrong choice here," said Tiger, "Both Masters need our help."  
  
Panther released Faust and looked to Tiger.  
  
"You'd better not let anything happen to Lord Faust!" she snapped.  
  
Tiger smiled. "Of course Panther. Take good care of Young Master."  
  
Tiger, Luchs, and Panther all embraced each other. Then Tiger walked over to Lord Faust.  
  
"Luchs, Panther, I am proud of both you," said Faust stiffly, "I leave the Eleventh to you."  
  
"You have to come back when you're done!" said Luchs, "He needs a father!"  
  
Faust nodded. "I promise."  
  
Panther and Luchs watched as Tiger and Faust descended the staircase and exited several stories below. They turned to look at each other.  
  
"So Tiger gets Lord Faust," said Luchs sadly.  
  
"It was inevitable," said Panther, "I can't keep up with her."  
  
Luchs nodded. "You may be right."  
  
Panther smirked. "But you'd better keep your mitts of Young Faust!"  
  
Luchs blushed. "What are you talking about?" she asked.  
  
Panther made her way up the staircase. "Oh nothing!"  
  
Luchs sighed and followed her up the stairs towards the door. The door that led them back to Lord Faust.  
  
-The End- 


End file.
